Microsoft: EU action against Google

Microsoft on 30 March before the EU Commission in Brussels filed a legal action against rivals Google. Topic: the lucrative business of search advertising.

Microsoft lawyer Brad Smith accused Google of doing anything to "his dominance in the market for online search and search advertising to the detriment of European consumers to consolidate. Microsoft operates the search engine Google, which is in competition with Google.

Since November 2010 already an EU procedure is against Google. The competition watchdog to go for clues, according to the group - perhaps deliberately - displays for product inquiries, offers of other search services in the results too far back. Instead, Google's own services placed prominently in the search results, so the accusation. The IT giant also may have the prices for online advertising boosted.

In an initial reaction, said a Google spokesman in London: "We are not surprised by this move by Microsoft."The company had already through its subsidiary, the consumer portal ciao.de, considered one of the complainants in Brussels. The spokesman added: "We will continue the discussions with the EU Commission and thereby explain our business model. "