Microsoft Declares War on Google

[jkwest]

Microsoft asked European regulators Thursday to go after Google on antitrust grounds, accusing the search giant of trying to “entrench its dominance” on the Web.

It’s a major escalation in the war between the two tech titans.

Microsoft and other Google foes say Google’s powerful search engine and its move into other markets — from advertising to mobile phones to travel — has stunted industrywide competition. Google has described itself as under siege — the victim of a Microsoft-led “anti-Google industrial complex.”

In an early-morning blog post Thursday, Microsoft executive Brad Smith said the company’s European Commission filing accuses Google of having “engaged in a broadening pattern of walling off access to content and data that competitors need to provide search results to consumers and to attract advertisers.”

Smith offered a litany of examples of what he describes as Google's anticompetitive practices — arguing, for instance, that Google has disadvantaged competitors in video search, promoted its search boxes through exclusivity deals and sought to leverage its size over competitors in the neophyte e-book market.

"We readily appreciate that Google should continue to have the freedom to innovate. But it shouldn’t be permitted to pursue practices that restrict others from innovating and offering competitive alternatives," Smith said. "That’s what it’s doing now. And that’s what we hope European officials will assess and ultimately decide to stop."

“We're not surprised that Microsoft has done this, since one of their subsidiaries was one of the original complainants," Google officials said in a statement. "For our part, we continue to discuss the case with the European Commission and we're happy to explain to anyone how our business works."

The complaint filed with European Union regulators, the first time Microsoft has formally alleged antitrust violations by a competitor, comes as Google is under increased scrutiny back home — from the Justice Department, the Federal Trade Commission and among state attorneys general.



Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories...#ixzz1ICHXYklU

I think Microsoft may be getting scared..

[SleeperAgent]

This is basically Microsoft's way of saying (with no shame) "Bing sucks and we can't beat Google at their own game so we'll just sue them"

If Microsoft tries this in open court I REALLY hope Google counter-sues. Microsoft has DOMINATED in OS for so long. Yes there are other OS, but percentage wise M$ is probably higher than 80%.

[Elandyll]

LMAO

Received a Windows 7 PC at work with the Bing bar pre installed by MS/Dell.
They'll probably say it's "to help the consumer be less confused about which search engine to use" right?

[OrlandoEastwood]

I've never used Bing and I use Google Chrome as my web browser. Suck it, Microsoft!

[sfmarine]

I hate Bing...

[PrivatePixel]

Anyone remember when Microsoft tried to bribe....uh, entice users with the Bing Cashback rebate program? That was the only time I used their search engine. It would have been great if I was actually paid.

Bing
Is
Not
Google

[Hatter]

Originally Posted by PrivatePixel

Anyone remember when Microsoft tried to bribe....uh, entice users with the Bing Cashback rebate program? That was the only time I used their search engine. It would have been great if I was actually paid.

Bing
Is
Not
Google

Oh yeah, they competed concurrently with google's checkout rebates.

Microsoft's been hit in the past with antitrust suits related to IE. It's only fair that google are held to the same standards.