Google sue US government over Microsoft favouritism

Another day, and yet again another round of legal action. This time Google are suing the U.S. Department of the Interior saying that the agency inappropriately wrote ‘procurement requirements' for a messaging contract to favour Microsoft Corp over its own Google Apps.

The suit was filed on Friday in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims and it states that the agency's request for quotations for an email and ‘collaboration' product was written to exclude Google by saying that the solution must be part of Microsoft Business Productivity Online Suite.

Google claim that the DOI decision to consider only Microsoft's product is ‘unduly restrictive of competition' and violates the competition in Contracting Act.

This contract is worth a staggering $59 million over a five year period and it set to replace 13 messaging platforms currently in operation for 88,000 users. Google's lawsuit cheekily turns the tables on the U.S. Government which has been analysing the search giant's privacy and acquisition practices in recent months.

This is the latest in ‘battles' between Google and Microsoft who seem at loggerheads on a weekly basis. Eric Goldman, professor at Santa Clara University School Of Law said “Google rarely goes on the offensive in court. It's suing the Department of the Interior as a proxy in its battle against Microsoft.”

Expert attorney James Kim said that Google will have a tough time proving to the court that the DOI has acted inappropriately.

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