I knew this would happen. You can’t have two huge companies with massive bankrolls both trying to take over the world without a few back-and-forth episodes.

Who am I talking about? Google and Microsoft, of course!

Google wants part of Microsoft’s software business. Microsoft wants part of Google’s search business. And apparently part of each company’s strategy is playing the anti-trust card on one another.

When Google announced it was acquiring online advertising company DoubleClick, Microsoft (and other competitors for Mountain View’s crown) cried anti-trust. The FTC is currently investigating the acquisition.

Now we’re finding out that Google filed a confidential complaint with the U.S. Department of Justice against Microsoft because it thinks the desktop search boxes built into Microsoft’s Windows Vista operating system thwart competition. Why? Because users can’t switch the back-end components out to let another search - say…. Google - power those built in boxes.

According to USAToday, the U.S. DOJ is urging state attorney generals to reject Google’s complaint against Microsoft. Microsoft, you’ll remember, has been the subject of many government anti-trust interventions. As part of an agreement with the government, Microsoft allowed Vista to be inspected prior to it’s release… and the DOJ signed off on it.

Google doesn’t have much of a fight here. Not only has the OS been previously cleared by the same agency Google is trying to file a complaint with, but their claims also don’t hold much water. It’s very easy for a user to download and install Google’s Desktop Search application. Even in Windows Vista the application works just fine.

Tsk, tsk, tsk Google and Microsoft. Don’t make me pull this car over and separate you two! If you can’t compete without all of this fighting then I’m going to have to ask you both to go home.