Microsoft In Talks With EC Regulators On Yahoo Deal
September 17 2009 - 8:27PM
Dow Jones News
European antitrust regulators have been in informal discussions
with Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) about their Internet search
collaboration with Yahoo Inc. (YHOO), Microsoft said Thursday,
although it is not clear whether the European Commission will
formally review the deal.
Microsoft and Yahoo in July agreed on a long-awaited pact to
work together on Internet search advertising, a deal aimed at
better combating the market leader, Google Inc. (GOOG).
Discussions with the Commission have been taking place for
several weeks, a Microsoft spokesman said. Last week, the U.S.
Department of Justice said it was requesting more information from
the companies, indicating the possibility of a longer review.
"As we said when the agreement was announced, we anticipated
that this deal will be closely reviewed in the United States and
the E.U., and discussions in both geographies continue," Microsoft
spokesman Jack Evans said.
He reiterated that Microsoft hopes the deal will close early in
2010.
The European Commission hasn't announced its intention to
formally review the deal and it remains unclear whether it will do
so.
Market leader Google's market share of the paid Internet search
market in Europe, at roughly 92%, is higher than in the U.S., where
it is just under 80%.
Microsoft's shares closed Thursday up 0.4% at $25.30.
-By Jessica Hodgson, Dow Jones Newswires; 415-439-6455;
jessica.hodgson@dowjones.com