LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLORIDA -- The antitrust case hasn't changed Microsoft's practices; the continually increasing prices for Office are justified, and the software giant won't release its intellectual property anytime soon, says Steve Ballmer, president and chief executive officer.

Ballmer was in the firing line of questions from analysts Wednesday at market research company Gartner's ITxpo conference here.

Ballmer, who doesn't shy from confrontation, was on the defensive but clearly enjoying himself, making the keynote interview one of the more edgier chats at ITxpo.

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The Gartner analysts returned repeatedly to Microsoft's licensing policies and practices, which they say some customers find restrictive.

Microsoft is committed to using open standards and protocols in its products, but when it comes to sharing proprietary intellectual property the company is, and will be, restrictive in its licensing terms, Ballmer says. The company isn't in business to give away its intellectual property, he says.

He further defends price increases, specifically for Office work-productivity software. Office costs three times more now than it did five years ago, noted Gartner analyst Tom Austin. But Microsoft has enhanced the product, and that's why customers keep buying it, Ballmer answered. He also questions the percentage increase, noting, "the notion that there's been a 300 percent increase is not reflected in our financial results."

Austin replied that he isn't privy to all of Microsoft's financial books, but that the issue is that software prices are up and continue to rise.

"If the products have value, people will buy them. If they don't have value, people won't," Ballmer retorted.

No interview with a top Microsoft executive would be complete these days without covering the government's antitrust case against Microsoft. (See "Microsoft in Court.")

Ballmer insists that the case has not altered the company much, save for how top officials phrase their e-mail exchanges. Internal e-mail was at the heart of the Department of Justice case against Microsoft. Executives now are much more conscious of "tone, what words you use in e-mail."

"I think that's probably okay, in general, by the way," he says, adding that internal e-mail might be phrased more harshly at times and "softening that is probably not a bad thing in most regards."

Microsoft won't be split into two, Ballmer predicts. He says the『final outcome』most certainly will not strictly follow Judge Jackson's order.

"It is certainly the case that something will change in this appellate process," Ballmer says.