http://www.techuser.net/microsoft-yahoo.html
So, from what I've gathered from the in-depth piece above is that Microsoft wants Yahoo! for patent-related reasons, namely '361 patent, intellectual property from the Overture acquisition. Otherwise, like I've said before, an acquisition or merger makes zero sense.
Basically, M$ wants to own the patent to 1) avoid paying royalties to Y! for its paid search product—M$ Ad Center—and 2) frack w/ Google who, years ago, had "settled" w/ Yahoo! on licensing such patent—probably paying a negligible amount.
No wonder Google has great interest in a free, independent Y! and why M$ wants to Y!'s search "assets".
Intra-corporate fiefdom politicking at its best =)Labels: google, microsoft, politics, yahoo
