Microsoft’s lobbying tab in Washington dwarfs Google’s tally
The most recent federal disclosure forms offer a stark reminder of Microsoft Corp.’s mighty Washington presence: The software giant’s tab of almost $2 million for the third quarter alone nearly equaled the amount its rival Google Inc. spent in the first nine months of the year.
The lobbying muscle of both companies was on full display in recent months as Microsoft and Google battled over Google’s plans to sell some of the online advertisements that appear alongside search results on Yahoo Inc.’s Web site. Google and Yahoo entered into the partnership in June in an effort to keep Yahoo out of Microsoft’s hands. But Google walked away from the deal last week in the face of an antitrust challenge being prepared by the Justice Department. That retreat marked a key victory for Microsoft, which had mounted a major lobbying and public relations offensive to convince the government to block the agreement.
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