| Microsoft and Google tries to solve the dispute |
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| World Affairs Talk | |
| Saturday, 16 June 2007 | |
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In a complaint lodged late last year with the US Department of Justice and state attorneys-general, Google accuses Microsoft's Vista of violating a 2002 antitrust decree. The decree bounds Microsoft from stifling competing software with its operating system, which is used on approximately 90 percent of the world's computers. Google makes a free desktop search program that competes with the one Microsoft built into Vista. Desktop search software enables users to search their computers for stored information or files using keywords such as names. Microsoft believes, there are no compliance issues with desktop Vista are willing to review the theme. California-based Google reportedly expressed concerns about Vista's Internet Explorer web browser during the review by federal and state officials but did not take issue with desktop search. Vista tailored for businesses debuted in November 2006 and versions for home computers went on sale in January this year. Google feels, Microsoft's current approach with Vista desktop search violates the consent decree and limits consumer choice as the search boxes built throughout Vista are hard-wired to Microsoft's own desktop search product, with no way for users to choose an alternate source from these visible search access points. Likewise, Vista makes it impractical to turn off Microsoft's search index. Google's shot at the Washington-based software giant became public after it expanded on its complaint in a 49-page filing to the US Department of Justice in April 2007. Google's complaint is expected to be the subject of a June 26 status conference hearing before US District Court Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly in her Washington, DC courtroom. Share & Bookmark             |
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| Last Updated ( Tuesday, 19 June 2007 ) |
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