Google Asks For Formal Role In Microsoft Anti-Trust Dispute

New
Google filing presses for role in Microsoft case from the Seattle PI
covers how Google has now formally applied for a direct role to participate in
how a judge evaluates whether Microsoft’s desktop search in the Vista operating
system violates an anti-trust agreement.

In the last installment of this saga, the judge
had ruled that she
was satisfied with changes that Microsoft proposes to make to how desktop search
operates and that if Google disagreed, it needed to work through the US Justice
Department and various state attorneys that are party to the Microsoft
anti-trust settlement.

Google would prefer to directly address the court. In particular, it wants to
prevent the anti-trust settlement from expiring this November, to ensure the
proposed changes to desktop search are fully in place. This week’s

filing (PDF file) is intended to win over a place at the table from the
judge.

Stay tuned.