Microsoft, Yahoo and AOL join in Ad alliance

BALTIMORE - Usually 3 against 2 isn't considered a fair fight. But when the fight is over online ad revenue and the "2" are Google and Facebook, it might be. Microsoft, Yahoo and AOL say they are teaming up to do battle against Google and Facebook in the online ad arena.

The alliance is designed to sell some of the less-than-prime ad space the three companies have been having trouble filling on their own. Despite their coming together to fight against Google and Facebook, the three companies promise to remain independent firms -- and compete against each other with separate sales teams. Because of that, they say they don't expect U.S. antitrust regulators to object to the partnership, which is to take effect in January.

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