WASHINGTON, June 11: United States search engine titan Google has complained to antitrust authorities that Microsoft’s Windows Vista operating-system software puts rivals at an unfair disadvantage, the Wall Street Journal reported Monday.

Google sent a roughly 50-page white paper to the US justice department and state attorneys-general in April, alleging that Microsoft Corporation’s latest version of operating system violated its antitrust settlement, the Journal reported, citing lawyers.

In its white paper, Google alleged that Vista made it difficult for consumers to use rival desktop search applications.

The allegations are under review by the justice department and state attorneys-general who were parties to a consent decree that resolved the US government’s antitrust case against Microsoft in 2002.

Microsoft rejected the allegation that the desktop search violated the settlement.

“We don’t believe that this feature is covered by the consent decree or that it raises any antitrust issues,” Brad Smith, Microsoft’s general counsel, was quoted as saying.

A report on the latest allegations to the Washington federal court overseeing the case was due later this month and the judge, Colleen Kollar-Kotelly, “has shown frustration over Microsoft’s compliance with the settlement,” the Journal noted.—AFP