The US Court of Federal Claims has granted web giant Google an injunction, temporarily blocking a deal between Microsoft and the Department of Interior to provide web-based email services.

In November 2010, Google argued that the deal broke competition law as the Department of Interior has told potential suppliers that it would only consider proposals based on Microsoft’s system.

Last Friday, Judge Susan Braden ruled that Google would suffer “immediate and irreparable harm” and that Microsoft would gain "organisational lock-in” should the deal proceed, a US legal new service reports.

The judge did not uphold Google’s claim that Department of Interior had acted in bad faith, but she did rule that the official who wrote the Microsoft-only condition did not have the authority to do so. There was no evidence of wrong doing on Microsoft’s part.

Braden said that the delay would allow the Department to give Google’s web-based email services proper consideration.