October 16, 2008 by Matt Thomas
The ongoing saga surrounding Google and Yahoo’s troubled ad deal may have taken another tantalising turn with the introduction of Microsoft to the equation. According to strong rumours on Capitol Hill, Microsoft is lobbying hard behind the scenes in an effort to have the deal blocked.
If true, these rumours are very bad news for the deal. Not only does Microsoft have a very strong lobby in Washington, it also has a close relationship with the US Department of Justice, the body that effectively holds the life of the deal in its hands.
The deal has already been postponed once and both Yahoo and Google are currently talking to the DOJ in an effort to hammer out a compromise. If Microsoft has indeed decided to wade into the debate then it could quite easily be the death knell that finally kills off an accord that has divided the internet advertising community, drawing strong criticism from advertisers and those opposed to Google increasing their already dominant market share.
However, the deal is not without its supporters, some believing that it could improve Yahoo’s market share and therefore their ability to actually compete with Google.
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