We have grown accustom to Microsoft’s attacks on Google. In honesty, some have been rather clever and amusing, though they could also be deemed misguided and a bit on the, shall we say, deceitful side? Still, its business, and both companies wish to forge ahead — trampling the competition is a hallmark of the free market. Now, however, Microsoft’s signature attack, the Scroogled campaign, takes another weird turn.
Never mind the questionable legalities of accusations, now the Redmond-company is even selling memorabilia that depicts the search giant in this less-than-pleasant light. An entire collection of hats, tee shirts and even coffee mugs are awaiting your dollars. Looking for a stocking stuffer? How about a nicely made stone mug that tells you to “keep calm while we steal your data.”
The majority of the memorabilia, while perhaps a bit sleazy, is within the limits of legality. The entire Scroogled campaign has been of questionable ethics, but certainly of great entertainment. Given the competition for search, email and advertising, there is a lot at stake, and one could blame neither company for throwing the other beneath the proverbial bus.
