Search “Flinch” in Google and You’ll Likely Get “Microsoft” as Result #1

Apparently, Microsoft flinched at the prospect of a multibillion dollar Google legal team pushing the Netscape train through its front doors. Essentially, Vista repeated the Netscape play made by Microsoft with XP (Netscape complained that an integrated Internet explorer made it difficult if not impossible for users to install Netscape as their preferred web browser) by making it difficult for users to use Google’s desktop search software, which of course is non-native and third party. Google decided to file suit on antirust grounds on the very same basis that Netscape did all those years ago. And in this staring contest, Microsoft yielded early. One cannot escape the notion that it was a tacit admission of guilt on their part. One also wonders if the government, which has taken the unusual step of directly influencing the state prosecutors against adopting Google’s position is somehow stained as well, though one may not notice after the soot left behind by the Gonzales affair. No doubt the remediation process will be cumbersome and expensive as the OS has to be retooled.

“The settlement, reached in recent days by state prosecutors, the Justice Department and Microsoft, averted the prospect of litigation over a complaint by Google that Vista had been designed to frustrate computer users who want to use software other than Microsoft’s to search through files on their hard drives.

Google had made its complaint confidentially as part of the consent decree proceedings set up to monitor Microsoft for any anticompetitive conduct after it settled a landmark antitrust lawsuit five years ago that had been brought by the states and the Clinton administration.”—NY Times

Google Deja Vu at DOJ

The NY Times ran an interesting article on the apparently friendly stance the DOJ has taken towards Microsoft. The article compellingly outlines the shift in the DOJ's composition and tactics towards the now iconic antitrust ruling that nearly tore the software giant asunder. In the wake of the Bush administration’s allegedly pro oil ideology, a new piece in the argument that the administration thinks bigger is better is its handling of Google’s complaint against MS. Google, in a page torn right of the Netscape Bible, has complained that Vista seeks to deliberately exclude Google’s desktop search technologies as part of an anti-competitive scheme. Deja vu aficionados will recognize the argument as the same one made by Netscape with regard to the embedded Internet Explorer.

However, this time around, the DOJ armed with staffers and consultants directly form the MS camp don’t see the connection nor the merit. Indeed, the DOJ almost seems like a champion for MS. The conspiracy theory alarm is ringing loudly. Read the article to get the blow by blow.

Read the article here (Reg't Req'd)