Internet explorer hands MSN Search an unfair advantage, Google alleges

Google is lobbying the US government and EU to level the competitive playing field between itself and Microsoft.

Microsoft's forthcoming Internet Explorer 7 browser gives the company an unfair competitive advantage because it points users to the Microsoft owned MSN Search service as the default search engine.

Instead of setting a default search engine, users should get the option to set the engine of their choice when they first launch the application, the company charged.

Microsoft countered that consumers can easily alter browser settings, allowing them to set a search engine of their choice, according to the New York Times.

The new version of the software furthermore copies the current settings for Internet Explorer 6, including the default search engine. Computer makers are also able to change the browser settings, or bundle a non Microsoft browser with new systems.

Internet Explorer is the world's predominant browser. Data from web traffic measuring firm Onestat indicates that the application runs on roughly 85 per cent of all computers. Google claims the online search throne, handling 42.3 per cent of all search queries in the US last February.

Microsoft has publicly stated that it sees Google as one of its main competitors and that it seeks to become the dominant player in the online search market. The software vendor has stepped up investments in its MSN Search engine and last year kicked a major push into online services through its Live Software initiative.

Microsoft has been found guilty of violating anti-trust regulations in both the EU and in the US, using its monopoly on desktop operating systems to give Internet Explorer an edge over the competing Netscape browser. The case in Europe is still ongoing, but so far there hasn't been any mention of forcing a change in the default browser settings.