Google Using Acquisition Talk to Gain Insider Knowledge?

Reading SiliconBeat’s recap of why Google walked away from buying Olive Software, an off-line to XML comversion company, I noticed a juicy bit of speculation.

Is Google turning into a Microsoft? Checking out the goods, and then going back and building it themselves? Or hiring away the better employees? Here’s what one person said: “Google learned a LOT about Olive… everything.”

If Google ends-up building the technology themselves (or hiring key Olive employees) would you see this as shady or brilliance on Google’s part?