Re: Microsoft buys Yahoo

On Sat, 2 Feb 2008, KAYVEN  RIESE wrote:
> On Fri, 1 Feb 2008, Brett Glass wrote:
>> At 07:19 PM 2/1/2008, jerry@syslog.org wrote:
>> 
>>> I've been through many M&A deals.  MS will be able to successfully argue
>>> that the MS+Yahoo! combo does not constitute a monopoly, since:
>>> 1) the share of search of the combined companies does not equal that of
>>> it's competitor, Google (source:
>>> http://searchenginewatch.com/showPage.html?page=3627122)
>>> 2) The combination of MS and Yahoo! does not preclude any
>>> search/portal/email competitor from entering the market.
>> 
>> Anyone who thinks it doesn't constitute a monopoly hasn't looked at the
>> typical user's browser window. Every Windows PC sold today comes with
>> MSN as the start page and the Yahoo! toolbar (which claims to remove
>> spyware, but spies on you itself and refuses to be removed) pre-installed.
>> 
>> Combining the two will hold the average user, who doesn't even know
>> how to change the browser start page and can't tell the Yahoo toolbar
>> from the URL bar, completely hostage.
>
> The news called it "antitrust ISSUES," which is interesting.  Obviously,

Katie Couric just told me that Google is filing briefs in argument
that a Yahoo buyout by Microsoft violates SOME sort of antitrust issues.

> IMHO, Google's 59-62% (I am still betting they got this 3% boost since Dec. 
> 2007) search market is clear counterindication to TOTAL
> monopoly, but nonetheless, depending on how one defines the "market,"
> there is some concern.  I think, though, that the obvious trend will
> be further marriages of broadcast media (2009 mandate of digital
> television signals as one indicator) and internet/computing sector
> corporations such as the past merger of AOL/Time Warner.  Therefore,
> I guess I would tend to agree that antitrust SEEMS unlikely (but I
> must acknowledge total ignorance of actual legal technicalities
> on the matter and lack of J.D.).
>
> On Charlie Rose last night they were discussing the matter, and it
> seems the BIG question is whether Yahoo will acquiesce to the takeover.
> To do so would cut against the culture war of Redmond and Silicon
> Valley.
>
>>> All of this assumes a few things:
>>> 1) Yahoo's shareholders believe the deal represents a good value
>> 
>> Ironically, it's Microsoft shareholders who think it's a bad deal.
>> Microsoft's stock dropped like a rock when the offer was announced,
>> while Yahoo! stock went up.
>
> Isn't that normal stock behaviors for takeover?
>
>> --Brett Glass
>
> *----------------------------------------------------------*
>  Kayven Riese, BSCS, MS (Physiology and Biophysics)
>  (415) 902 5513 cellular
>  http://kayve.net
>  Webmaster http://ChessYoga.org
> *----------------------------------------------------------*
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*----------------------------------------------------------*
   Kayven Riese, BSCS, MS (Physiology and Biophysics)
   (415) 902 5513 cellular
   http://kayve.net
   Webmaster http://ChessYoga.org
*----------------------------------------------------------*
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