Internet: Investigators ramp up inquiry into Yahoo's ad link with Google

The US department of justice has begun a formal investigation into competition concerns surrounding an advertising tie-up between the two biggest global players in internet searches, Google and Yahoo. Officials want to know whether the revenue-sharing deal risks creating an effective monopoly for the two companies which, between them, account for almost three out of four of the world's online searches. A voluntary review has been under way for some time, but was recently upgraded to a formal inquiry, indicating that the department has alighted upon areas of concern. The investigation has arisen at an awkward time for Yahoo. Reports in the US suggest that Microsoft is once again sniffing around the Silicon Valley company and has held talks with potential partners, including Time Warner and News Corp, about a potential break-up... [read full story]