Yahoo and Google have personalized versions of the new Internet Explorer 7 browser. Yahoo’s is available for download here, and Google’s version is here.
The page layout and content for the two sites is nearly identical, although this may be a simple cut and paste from recommended Microsoft promotional information What’s more interesting is that the screen shots in both images showing IE7 are also identical. The Yahoo version clearly displays the Yahoo toolbar with a large red Y! in the left corner. The Google shot contains the same image, with the red Y! somewhat blurred out. The Google screen shot shows IE7 with the Yahoo toolbar. Screen shots and an enlargement of the Google blurred Y! are below.
This could easily be a situation where Microsoft was sloppy and sent out Yahoo-copied materials to Google. Or Google just copied the materials on Yahoo’s site. Either way, look for an update to the Google site in the very near future.
Update: Yahoo’er Jeremy Zawodny has a similar post. Perhaps we had the same anonymous tipster.
Update: Google replaces the site in question by 11 pm, just 6 hours after this story broke.
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File this one to the dep’t of “Who Gives A Rat’s Ass” ?
One company plays catch-up on every kind of technology, and the other plays catch-up on static one-page HTML advertisments for a third party products.
Who’d you rather be?
Does this count as “Doing Evil”
Absolute BS. Yahoo should not take this sitting down. I’d sue Google’s ass for loss of revenue and demand at least $500K for this stunt - this should NOT happen.
In other news, Microsoft Rips Off Apple’s Workgroup Manager Icon:
http://daringfireball.net/2006.....nager_icon
If these pages are promotional material directly from Microsoft (and that seems likely in this case), then someone on the IE7 marketing team made a very cunning move.
It makes Google, one of Microsoft’s biggest foes, look like a copycat of Yahoo!, a company that trails Google in the search industry. Not only that, but it puts a blurred out endorsement of a Yahoo! product on a Google page.
To top it off, it’s a sure fire way to light up the blogosphere with prominent links to download IE7.
Then again, if this is actually the case, one wonders just how Google will retaliate.
Oh wait there’s a difference:
On Linux, Y! gives “Sorry, your system does not meet the minimum requirements to install Internet Explorer 7.” message
Google still offers me to download IE 7
Surely turning to the dark side must’ve been excruciating.
Sorry to break this, IE7 is probably as good as FireFox., and Google should be worried about what Yahoo! is doing.
May be somebody at Google discovered that their search traffic is trending downward?!?! anyone knows the answer?!
Slow news day, hey Mike?
@Wade: looks like at least 7 rats ought to be watching their behinds today
David R. -
Did you forget who holds the patent to Google’s core business? Why do I think that if it were the other way around, you’d be screaming like a little girl about how Yahoo sucks?
-NM
NAPSTERMAN:(Did you forget who holds the patent to Google’s core business?) are you talking about yahoos patents for Overtures text link at concept? I thought that Google and Yahoo came to terms on this.
Whats funny is that the Google version is much nicer - less text, less legal gibberish. They may have copied, but it is an improvement.
I doubt Google would copy this, it has to be coming from Microsoft. Google isn’t that dumb. Seems to be more of a branding ploy from Microsoft. It makes sense to have all of the pages look the same and give you the same information - don’t want to send mixed messages. Next.
WAIT.. Google isn’t copying? Are you serious? Don’t you guys see the last screenshot included? It’s still got YAHOO’s Y! toolbar on there. The artists merely washed it out a bit… OMG.. What a silly job.
Good catch. How could this webmaster or product manager do this ripoff. Oh may be Ripoffs are a glorious form of flattering the original work. the 2nd win to Y! after Google answers shutdown.
“And I’ve checked with our PR group to make sure that this was just a template that Microsoft gave to all partners. It’s not.” - Jeremy Zawodny
So obviously this was a copy by Google. Kind of hilarious and stupid.
All you Google fan boys chill out. No one is saying Google sucks because of only this. This is just a small sample of how Google is just as evil as any corporation. It is lame that they need to remind us they are not evil by putting that in their official mission.
There are 2 things happening here:
1. Microsoft has established some rigid style guidelines for anyone who is re-branding their softare, and ensuring that one company does not represent it’s products different then the other as to confuse the consumer
2. Microsoft being political and saying.. this is the way it has to be.. sorry. Use your colors in the promo, but it’s still our product…
Wow. I’m sure somebody is gonna take some serious heat over this one.
Oops. (c) google.
Is that what the word “innovation” means?
“This could easily be a situation where Microsoft was sloppy and sent out Yahoo-copied materials to Google. ”
Yep, it’s Microsoft’s fault. MS went to Yahoo! and ordered them to send their promo material to Google. Then, MS ordered Google to make a as close as possible copy and publish it.
My guess is that this was farmed out to an outside design firm who did a half-assed job, and whoever it was at Google who contracted for the work didn’t do their due diligence before accepting the work.
dysonlu is completely right - Why does this post even mention the absurd possibility that Microsoft copied Yahoo’s promotional materials to send to Yahoo!. Would this possibility be raised if it were any other company in question?
Methinks that the design is by Microsoft, and Microsoft told Yahoo! and Google where they could make their tweaks. It would be a wise move on Microsoft’s part to have a consistent ad campaign across the different search engine companies. I don’t think there is much mroe to the story.
said NO to IE
why doesn’t someone use one of the crappy image search/comparison tools pimped on this site to see if those images are similar? can that even be done with these much-hyped google killer true image-based search engines?
didn’t think so.
wow. lot of anger tonight.
Wow, look at that. Google seems to have suddenly redesigned their IE7 splash page.
Heh.
Jeremy: I wouldn’t be gloating too much. You should read Matt Cutts’ reply: http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/ie7-promo-page/
check out again they have changed it…..hahaha…all your wishes came true..
http://www.google.com/toolbar/ie7/
Robert - I read Matt’s reply but I don’t think its the right response to this. Google originally copied the whole overture/Yahoo business model. Subsequent tweaks to copy rivals is understandable, its part of the war. But what Google did today was just sort of silly/lazy. Not in the same category of slights at all. I just get a chuckle out of the whole thing and hope someone doesn’t get fired (unless they are vested, in which case no one will feel quite so bad).
Matt proved my point exactly. Yahoo is constantly, desperately, _attempting_ to copy Google’s technology. The overhyping of this trivial one-static-HTML page _mistake_ is pathetic, but I’m sure a much-needed ego boost for the Yahoos.
Thanks Matt.
If Microsoft distributed the materials to marketing departments, then it seems like more of a non-issue. If anything, Yahoo should be going after Microsoft if they want to get upset about something, since they are the party sending materials out with Yahoo’s logo. Google wiped out the Yahoo logo, which was blurry to begin with. I can’t believe Google would *want* to use that, given their love for customizing graphics and logos. Either way, it’s not like it was the people making Google function that put this up… it was some ignorant marketing schlep… yeah, even Google has a few.
if its real news i am in shocked!
but every time best firefox in everywhere
hahaha….Google…what a rip “off”
cbmeeks
http://www.codershangout.com
Almost what everybody is saying on here is crud. You Google lovers, Google copied “IE7 optimized for Yahoo!” campaign. They did it, and that’s it, no need to protect them if the evidence is clear as glass. For you Microsoft haters, Microsoft isn’t promoting Yahoo! or Google to do this. I bet they’re happy about those 2 wanting to do something for IE7, but Microsoft already runs it’s own web engines, Windows Live and MSN. So promoting 2 rivals in the web search business is not so good for them, but for the internet browser race it is.
Its time to upgetthefuckoverit! yahoo search results look like googles OMG! worlds gonna implode people.
nice document
thnks
thnks a lot
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