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As Microsoft's time under the watch of antitrust regulators spins to a close, Google has filed a legal request to extend that consent decree. Google thinks Microsoft needs more time enduring the watchful eye of the Justice Department. The search company still has concerns that the promised fixes to Instant Search, a feature in Microsoft's Vista operating system, need to be delivered before Justice lets Microsoft off of its consent decree.

Only a few days ago, Microsoft and Google reached an agreement that had been announced as ending Google's complaint about Instant Search. Google executives believed Instant Search would keep rival products, like Google Desktop, from being competitive on Vista.

Reuters noted that Microsoft's consent decree expires in November of this year. Microsoft had promised the fixes to Vista will be made available by year's end, which could be after the decree expires.

Other provisions of the consent decree, where Microsoft agreed to change a number of its business practices to settle antitrust accusations, have been extended to November 2009. Google wants U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly in Washington DC to keep the court's oversight of Microsoft in place.

"The remedies won by the Department of Justice and state attorneys general from Microsoft are a positive step, but consumers will likely need further measures to ensure meaningful choice," said David Drummond, Google's chief legal officer, said in an report.

"The government has clearly stated that it is satisfied with the changes we're making," Brad Smith, Microsoft's general counsel, said in the same report. "Google has provided no new information that should suggest otherwise in their filing."