Microsoft: The Trust Buster
Microsoft is hoping to be the new Teddy Roosevelt by taking on nefarious monopolies and busting them apart.
No, Microsoft is not going after the National Securities Company. That got torn to shreds decades ago. Redmond has its eyes on what might be an even bigger prize: Google.
According to Microsoft (which still hasn't been forgiven by the European Union), Google isn't playing fair in Europe and is using its market dominance to block out smaller competitors (like Microsoft, which only brings in about $80 billion a year).
Microsoft made its feelings known formally last week with a complaint to the European Commission (EC), which was already looking into antitrust allegations against the Googlelizers.
If I was Microsoft, I'm not sure I would have complained, as the filing admits that Google has some 95 percent share of the European search market. And Microsoft has had a search engine for how long?
There is some teeth to Redmond's concerns. Apparently in Europe, only Google will readily point to YouTube videos. Google also, allegedly, artificially lowers the rank of competing engines.
Wonder where Google learned how to leverage a monopoly? You tell me at [email protected].
Posted by Doug Barney on 04/04/2011 at 1:18 PM