DETROIT - Microsoft Chief Executive Steve Ballmer on Friday said
a complaint lodged by Google Inc. was baseless as the software
company was complying with a 2002 antitrust settlement.
In a complaint filed with the Department of Justice in December,
Google said a feature built into Microsofts Windows Vista
operating system that allows users to search a computers hard
drive did not leave room for competition from other desktop search
applications.
Google argues that this feature violates a consent decree that
monitors Microsofts behavior as part of its settlement with the
U.S. government, which had accused the company of using its
monopoly to harm competition by incorporating new features into its
operating system at no additional costs.
We continue to comply with the consent decree we signed with the
U.S. government in recognition to the findings around our position
with Windows, Ballmer said at the Detroit Economic Club.
We think all claims to the contrary are baseless, said Ballmer, a
Detroit native, in response to a question from the audience
following his speech to the group.
The latest quarrel between the two technology heavyweights reflects
the growing competition between Microsoft, the worlds largest
maker of software that runs on a computers hard drive, and Google,
the leader in Web search and other services working on the
Internet.
Source: Nzherald.co.nz/
