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Reports have surfaced that Microsoft has employed a lobbying firm to help rally opposition to the Google’s proposed acquisition of DoubleClick. According to The Observer, the lobbying firm Burson-Marsteller has been contacting a number of businesses in the UK, urging them talk to politicians, regulators, and the media about the monopoly the proposed merger would create.
According to the report, a new organization called the Initiative for Competitive Online Marketplaces has been established, whose primary mission is to spread awareness of Google’s “unfair” dominance in online advertising.
A Microsoft spokesperson confirmed that the company has a relationship with Burson-Marsteller but denied the lobbying initiative. As for Google, they issued the following statement:
“Earlier this summer we asked the European Commission to review the proposed acquisition. We firmly believe it is positive for us and advertisers and fosters competition.”