Microsoft complains to EC about Google

U.S. software maker Microsoft, for years the target of antitrust complaints and monopoly accusations, now says Google engages in similar practices. Microsoft filed its anti-competition complaint against Google to the European Commission, the BBC said on Thursday. Microsoft complains to EC about Google According to this, the search giant "abused its dominant position in the market to the detriment of Microsoft's services". The complaint states that Google "limited the ability of Microsoft Bing to index web content". In 2004, Microsoft was ordered to pay nearly USD 800mn after the EU found that it had abused its market position. For its case against Google to be accepted, the BBC reports, Microsoft would have to prove that Google was dominant in the search market and that it had abused that position. Unnamed Google sources were quoted as saying in the media that the company was not surprised at the move, and would "continue to discuss the case with the European Commission". "We're happy to explain to anyone how our business works," said Google. The New York Times notes in its coverage of the story that "antitrust regulators look for evidence of not only an unfair advantage but also of less consumer choice and higher prices". The paper quotes antitrust expert Herbert Hovenkamp as saying that "you do need to show consumer harm". "That becomes more difficult with search engines, where it is easy for consumers to switch to another search engine. That is different than in PC operating systems in the Microsoft case, where the technological lock-in was more obvious," said Hovenkamp. (Beta/AP)

Microsoft complains to EC about Google

According to this, the search giant "abused its dominant position in the market to the detriment of Microsoft's services".

The complaint states that Google "limited the ability of Microsoft Bing to index web content".

In 2004, Microsoft was ordered to pay nearly USD 800mn after the EU found that it had abused its market position.

For its case against Google to be accepted, the BBC reports, Microsoft would have to prove that Google was dominant in the search market and that it had abused that position.

Unnamed Google sources were quoted as saying in the media that the company was not surprised at the move, and would "continue to discuss the case with the European Commission".

"We're happy to explain to anyone how our business works," said Google.

The New York Times notes in its coverage of the story that "antitrust regulators look for evidence of not only an unfair advantage but also of less consumer choice and higher prices".

The paper quotes antitrust expert Herbert Hovenkamp as saying that "you do need to show consumer harm".

"That becomes more difficult with search engines, where it is easy for consumers to switch to another search engine. That is different than in PC operating systems in the Microsoft case, where the technological lock-in was more obvious," said Hovenkamp.