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Microsoft Windows Vista software sit on display at a store in New York January 30, 2007.(Xinhua/Reuters Photo)
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BEIJING, June 26 (Xinhuanet) -- Google Inc. said
Monday it wants a federal court to extend its supervision of Microsoft's 2002
antitrust settlement with federal and state trustbusters in order to ensure that
it follows through on changes to the desktop search function included in the
latest version of Windows.
"Microsoft's hardwiring of its own desktop search
product into Windows Vista violates the final judgment" in the U.S. government's
antitrust case against the software maker, Google said.
Over the last year, Google has complained to state
and federal regulators that Microsoft's "Instant Search" program, which helps
Windows Vista users search their hard drives, slows down third-party desktop
search programs. Google also has said Microsoft makes it hard for PC users to
choose alternatives to the built-in search, including Google's own free Google
Desktop program.
In a report published last week, the Justice
Department and Microsoft detailed a compromise response to Google's complaints.
Windows Vista users will be able to set a non-Microsoft program as the default
desktop search engine.
Microsoft also will add a link to that alternate
program in the Windows Start menu, but will not change the way Vista "Instant
Search" works. The software maker said the changes would be available by the end
of the year.
"Microsoft went the extra mile to resolve these
issues in a spirit of compromise," Microsoft said in a statement. "The
government has clearly stated that it is satisfied with the changes we're
making. Google has provided no new information that should suggest otherwise in
their filing."
"The remedies won by the Department of Justice and
state attorneys general from Microsoft are a positive step, but consumers will
likely need further measures to ensure meaningful choice," David Drummond,
Google's chief legal officer, said in an e-mailed statement.
(Agencies)