Bad news for Google on IE 7

Stan Beer
Saturday, 13 May 2006 08:56

Business IT - Technology

Google has received setback in its quest to have Microsoft censured by the US Department of Justice (DOJ) and European Commission for making Windows Live Search the default search box in the upcoming Internet Explorer 7 browser. The DOJ has issued a submission to the US District Court of Columbia which indicates that the agency doesn't have a problem with Microsoft's search box in IE 7.

According to the DOJ submission, it has looked closely into the search feature of IE 7 and is satisfied that the browser, which has 85% market share, provides the required choice for both users and PC manufacturers and that it does not intend to pursue the matter further.

The DOJ submission states:

"Plaintiffs studied the new search feature in Internet Explorer 7 and discussed its implications with Microsoft months before it was included in the beta versions released to consumers. Internet Explorer 7 will include a new search box where users enter a query and then view the search results in the web browser using the selected search engine (e.g. Google, Yahoo, MSN Search, or a host of others).

"OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) are allowed, under the Windows OPK, to set the default search engine when the machine is first sold to a user, and Internet Explorer 7 itself includes a relatively straightforward method for the user to select a different search engine from the initial system default. Recent news reports, however, have focused on the selection of the default search engine when a user upgrades an existing computer to Internet Explorer 7.

"Because Internet Explorer 6 does not contain such a prominent search engine box, in some cases the user or OEM may never have set a default

search engine; in other cases, the OEM may have set the default search engine to Google, Yahoo, MSN Search, or another provider, or the user

may have done so by installing one of the toolbars offered by these companies. In this upgrade situation, Internet Explorer 7 preserves the

user’s existing search engine default or else uses MSN Search if no default has been set.

"As Microsoft’s implementation of the search feature respects users’ and OEM’s default choices and is easily changed, Plaintiffs have

concluded their work on this matter."

Google is reported to be unhappy with the DOJ finding, specifically because the search engine market leader believes the "stickiness" of user default search engine selection is not sufficient - it is too easy for the browser to reset the default back to the Microsoft search engine. In addition, Google believes that selecting the default search engine should be a simple one-click process for users.