While not entirely unexpected, Microsoft's £22 billion offer to buy Yahoo! has certainly set tongues wagging in the technology world.

Earlier this week, Google voiced its disquiet at the proposed deal, fearing it could leave the merged companies (Yahsoft? Microhoo?) wielding too much power.

"This is about more than simply a financial transaction," says David Drummond, one of Google's legal eagles. "It's about preserving the underlying principles of the internet: openness and innovation.