SEATTLE/Brussels - Microsoft Corp intensified his rivalry with Google Inc., antitrust regulators that in its first complaint, that Google Internet search competition is systematically thwarted.
The formal complaint, European Commission regulators marked a role change for Microsoft, the target of the antitrust action two decades in the United States and Europe.
"The filing of this complaint reflects one of the greatest ironies of the antitrust history", chance, said Thomas Vinje, global head of antitrust practice with Clifford a coalition led won EU fines against Microsoft.
"Microsoft has learned from his own unpleasant experience how one lead maximum for his competitors of competition law."
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The complaint highlights the erosion of Microsoft in the close monopoly of the PC market as Apple Inc. has it in revenue outgrown. Google controls over 90 percent of the Internet search advertising market in Europe, also from Microsoft Bing. And Web browsers such as Firefox and Google chrome to the leadership of Microsoft Internet Explorer have eaten.
In its complaint on Thursday, Microsoft claims that Google committed impede the unfair competition is in a "pattern of action".
Google is under investigation by the European Commission one of them owned by Microsoft already after complaints by three small companies.
Google indicates that it was not too by the complaint. "We are not surprised that Microsoft has done this, because one of their daughters was one of the original complainants," said Google spokesman Al Verney.
"For our part we continue the case with the European Commission discuss and we look forward, for anyone explain how our business works."
EU Commission spokeswoman Amelia Torres said in an e-mail statement, that "The Commission takes note of the appeal, as the procedure, will inform Google and will questions for his views on it." "Receive no further information."
"Microsoft always a formal complainant make investigation into Google, running a difference in the Commission", said Christopher Thomas partner at law firm of Hogan Lovells, citing the company's "Resources and determination."
The "complaint will throw a wrench in Google efforts to reach an agreement with the Commission," added Vinje of Clifford chance. "Even the necessary preliminary examination likely to delay such a complaint, any possible settlement of at least six months seems."
A source with the case trust last month told of Reuters that Google and the Commission in the solution of the problem were interested but there were no concrete proposals on the table.
Microsoft said it felt, it was to time Google directly for legal reasons.
"As worrying, because the situation in the United States is, it is worse in Europe,", said Brad Smith, Microsoft's top lawyer, in a blog on the company's website.
"Therefore our submission today focuses on a pattern of actions, that has made Google, hide to his dominance in the markets for online search and search advertising to the detriment of European consumers."
The complaint charges that Google does competition by "Walling off" hurt on content their YouTube page, so that other search engines, display accurate results makes it difficult for Microsoft's mobile software to YouTube videos show; Block access to content owned by book publishers; not let advertisers their own data about customers gathered from Google to use other websites. Blocking Web sites using competing "search fields"; and it is expensive for potential competitors to Google, to advertise online.
Google "be allowed, should not follow practices that restrict others from innovation and offer competitive alternatives," said Microsoft's Smith on his blog.
Copyright 2011 Thomson Reuters.
