Mountain View (CA) – Google chimes in on Microsoft’s offer to buy Yahoo for almost $45 billion. Google believes that this acquisition could threaten the openness of the Internet and hints that Microsoft could “extend unfair practices from browsers and operating systems to the Internet.”

A reaction from Google to Microsoft’s multi-billion-dollar offer for Yahoo appeared over the weekend and, not surprisingly, Google isn’t happy with what is on the table. David Drummond, Google’s chief legal officer wrote that “Microsoft's hostile bid for Yahoo raises troubling questions. The executive "wonders" in a blog post whether Microsoft could “now attempt to exert the same sort of inappropriate and illegal influence over the Internet that it did with the PC”.

“Could the acquisition of Yahoo! allow Microsoft - despite its legacy of serious legal and regulatory offenses - to extend unfair practices from browsers and operating systems to the Internet?”

Drummond argues that the openness of the Internet has made firms such as Google possible, and he believes it is this openness and room for innovation that may see a threat from what is now widely described as “Microhoo”. He pointed to Microsoft’s and Yahoo’s “significant” share in instant messaging and web mail as well as the high traffic volumes on those websites.

Of course, Google itself dominates various applications areas of the Internet, including advertising and search, so Google’s participation in this potential merger may have a different background. Industry watchers such as Rob Enderle last week already speculated that Google may jump into the bidding process with the goal to make Yahoo as painful and expensive as possible for Microsoft. The Wall Street Journal believes that it is unlikely that Google will have a direct part in the bidding process, but it “could play a role in attempts by others to outbid Microsoft, or by Yahoo to remain independent.” The newspaper mentioned AT&T, News Corp and Time Warner a possible “candidates to do such a deal.”