Google to Help EU Break Up Potential Search Monopoly

Agreed - Google is already the monopoly in search in the UK, so it's trying to kneecap potential rivals who could balance the market. We *need* competition in search in the UK. Hope someone points that out to the EU.

Titans in court. This could be interesting.

Monopoly: Over 90% of my search traffic comes from Google

They were plugging FF the other day and stating 'safer browsing' so clearly lining up against IE, hardly impartial

MSN should use their own search as default in the new browser.
What business would not.
Not only is it fair and sensible, converse to Google's argument, it would also help reduce the monopoly in the search market

This isn't exactly a search monopoly issue, but a desktop operating system issue, and Google's argument is perfectly valid that MS is leveraging it's Windows monopoly with the desktop to tilt the balance of power on the internet.

This is how MS destroyed many software companies by monopolizing email, browsers (can you say Netscape? I knew you could), word processing (Word Perfect? what's that), spreadsheets (123 used to dominate), even Microsoft Money is making dents in QuickBooks, XBox hammering on game makers, and it goes on and on.

Simple way to resolve this is ask the user the first time you run IE:

Would you like default searches to use MSN, Yahoo, Google or custom?

Problem solved.

But don't you dare side with Microsoft as I've been in a couple of thriving businesses that no longer exist thanks to nobody stopping the Borg in the past.

Bill, we're not talking about the past we're talking about the future and I for one don’t like the idea that Google can wipe me out in the blink of an eye. I had a hacker breach my hosting and a very important site was removed by Google. Not my fault, no warning just whacked and 18 months later allowed back in with no decent ranking. Google’s virtual monopoly would not have been allowed if it had been achieved by a takeover situation as its not in the interests of the consumer and I for one will be very pleased when they represent less than 50% of search instead of I guess 90% here in the UK.

i still dont understand how google is to be blamed for having a search monopoly. people are the ones who voluntarily continue to go to google even when there are other capable search engines.

guess i'm in the minority but i dont really have too much of a problem with msft's or google's so-called monopolies. (well, google's anti-competitive behavior with adsense is slightly troubling, although i dont think it warrants legislation just yet).

rev share deal with google and they still make big $$, I don't see MS as losing here. As long as MS gets the same deal, (80% of revenue) you have the guys in Mountain View working for Redmond. G may get into the IE search box but it won't be free.

> Google whining

Exactly. I hate when big business do that, it's ridiculous: "hey, we own this market, we don't want others to take a bite of our cake, please help us". Pathetic.

If I read my dear Eurocrats right there's a monopoly case coming up against Google, give or take a few years.

Yup, sounds like you have sour grapes all right!

Nobody is forcing anyone to type in GOOGLE when their browser comes up so when something better comes along they'll all use it instead. Used to be Alta Vista, then Inktomi, then Google, the net's fickle that way.

I certainly don't see them as a monopoly as anyone can switch at any second to Yahoo or MSN any time you want. It's not like it was before phone deregulation where you had no choice and could only use AT&T, technically even the cable companies don't have a monopoly as I could use satellite TV and tell the cable boys to go to hell.

However, MS is in a monopolistic position when most of the computers come out with Windows and if they start you at MSN they're playing unfairly there.

Huge difference between giving people a choice of service vs. defaulting them to your own brand.

BTW, Google is returning results today that don't even have the keyword or exact phrase I searched, someone broke something - they must've let Matt back in the code or hired away some MSN search engineer! If this continues for long you won't have to worry about their dominance.

cabbagelooking is right, though, Bill - Google owns search in the UK, and whether or not it's down to consumer choice (by now it's probably more just habit), it's bad for business.

Everytime Google farts - incomplete indexing, spidering problems, sandboxing, & various other problems (like you highlight) - it directly impacts UK search and negatively impacts business.

We simply need a fairer playing field.

Governments should protect us, the consumers, as well as us, the marketeers, from situations that arise that are not in our interests. A virtual internet monopoly is definitely not in our interests, it does not improve our lives and in many cases makes us beholden to one commercial entity, as almost all of us here are to Google. It should not be beyond the combined intellect of the legislators to prevent this situation arising, nor should it be impossible to remove it once has arisen. Google virtually ruling the internet, as it does in my country is not in our interests and I suspect I'm not alone in my views. To blame it all on the consumer is ridiculous as sometimes we need to look at the bigger picture of what is really happening out there.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/01/AR2006050101447.html

as opposed to http://www.threadwatch.org/node/6456 ?

I can get to the top of MSN search with a keyword phrase before Google even indexes me. I say let the Borg run free! :)

fired up an XP box and installed the IE 7 beta.

bye bye google.

I'm not entirely uncomfortable with MS as they have a long history of letting the small guy eat from the table, lots of MS certified guys out there with stable,healthy incomes. If MS extends the same thoughtfulness to publishers/webmasters it could be a GOOD THING, with G$, the only entity entitled to a stable biz model is G$.

pigs always get slaughtered.