Search tie-up in US govt spotlight

WASHINGTON: Microsoft's 10-year Internet search deal with Yahoo will get a hard look from Obama administration antitrust enforcers but will probably squeak through.

While the partnership knocks the number of competing search engines down to two, from three, antitrust experts said this might have happened anyway. The partners say they will join to create a stronger competitor to Google Inc.

"The question is: is it OK? Is two enough?" said antitrust attorney John Briggs of Axinn, Veltrop and Harkrider LLP.