A lawyer for Microsoft (MSFT) accused Google (GOOG) of being one of the “companies that create no content of their own, and make money solely on the back of other people’s content, are raking in billions through advertising and initial public offerings”, according to FT.com. Looks like a grudge match. Good stuff.
The Microsoft attack focused primarily on big content company videos found on YouTube and Google’s plan to scan books to make them available online.
The comments come at an odd time. It may be that the legal department at MSFT spent the winter in hibernation. Google has been talking about creating digital copies of books for online readership and stealing videos on YouTube for a long time. The comments may have context but lack timeliness.
Microsoft is big and it is bad. It does not look good for the 600 pound gorilla to side with the oppressed, even when it makes the company look better next to its competition. Maybe Microsoft is the friend of the copyright holder, but it should keep that secret to itself.
Douglas A. McIntyre
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