RSSGoogle repeats concerns over Microsoft + Yahoo
By Ed Oswald | Published March 17, 2008, 11:26 AM
Google repeated its concern surrounding the proposed merger between Microsoft and Yahoo, saying it would threaten the openness of the Internet.
Google CEO Eric Schmidt made the comments to attendees as part of a press conference surrounding its efforts to bring cloud computing to Chinese universities. Obviously, reporters were anxious to get his take on the Microsoft-Yahoo tie-up.
"We would hope that anything they did would be consistent with the openness of the Internet, but I doubt it would be," reads Reuters' quote of Schmidt's comments this morning to reporters. "We are concerned that there are things Microsoft could do that would be bad for the Internet."
Google had already spoken publicly on the subject back in February when the deal was first announced. In fact, legal chief David Drummond said much the same thing at that time: that in its view, such a deal would threaten openness and innovation on the Internet.
"While the Internet rewards competitive innovation, Microsoft has frequently sought to establish proprietary monopolies -- and then leverage its dominance into new, adjacent markets," Drummond said last February.
Schmidt built upon this idea in his own comments, saying the acquisition raises the question of whether or not Microsoft will again take measures that may make it harder for other companies to compete in the space.
Yahoo has already rejected the Redmond firm's attempts to acquire it, although Microsoft has attempted to take the issue directly to the shareholders to force Yahoo's hand. It is not clear yet whether Microsoft has made any progress on that front.
What is Yahoo?
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|Google should be worried. Very worried!
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|If Yahoo! and Microsoft do merge and Microsoft uses it as an opportunity to push Silverlight, I could easily see Google becoming the victor and Microsoft's own perceived path to propriety as being a win for Google...
And perhaps Google would rather keep the field competitive as it serves them to be in a race?
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|I concur, Google is the new evil emperor. I make it a point never to click on a "sponsored link" or on any ads on an sites for that matter.
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|Google is the new evil emperor.
How so?
What have they done?
I never pegged you for one of the "they're big, so they must be Evil™" sheep.
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|Could another google appear, or would the unsurmounting pressure and influence of google make it not worth attempting.
Thought so.
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|Could another search engine pop up and take Google's crown?
Sure.
Why not?
What "unsurmounting" (insurmountable?) pressure and influence have they exerted?
Thought so.
No. You didn't. I assume that's why you resorted to an attempt to use the rhetoric above to illicit some kind of emotional response instead of providing any actual facts, acts of misdoing, or past tendencies of Google that could logically lead one to the initial baseless conclusion.
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|What "illicit" try "elicit" Toolie, that's twice today!
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|*laughs*
Shhh! No-one will notice if you'd just keep yer mouth shut. :p
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|Once again I agree with you. I'm a bit tired of people making statements that are completely undocumented. Microsoft is spending a great deal of time putting out fires and tripping over their tongues.
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|Google, you bunch of ignorant wankers. Die.
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|well spoken
/sarcasm
Move along people nothing more to see here
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