The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) unanimously ruled Jan. 3
there is not enough evidence to support allegations Google gives its own
services preferred billing in search results.
The decision, which brings to an end a nearly two-year anti-trust
investigation, disappointed the company’s rivals who were gunning for
strong sanctions against the search engine giant.
“The evidence the FTC uncovered through this intensive investigation
prompted us to require significant changes in Google’s business
practices. However, regarding the specific allegations that the company
biased its search results to hurt competition, the evidence collected to
date did not justify legal action by the Commission,” said Beth
Wilkinson, outside counsel to the Commission.
“Undoubtedly, Google took aggressive actions to gain advantage over
rival search providers. However, the FTC’s mission is to protect
competition, and not individual competitors. The evidence did not
demonstrate that Google’s actions in this area stifled competition in
violation of U.S. law.”
The FTC did, however, convince Google to change some of its business
practices such as promising to license under more reasonable terms the
hundreds of the patents it acquired with the purchase of Motorola. This
means rivals will have access to patents on critical standardized technologies needed to make popular devices such as Smartphones, laptops, tablets and gaming consoles.
Google has also agreed to limit its use of bits and pieces from other
websites and to give online advertisers more flexibility to
simultaneously manage ad campaigns on Google’s AdWords platform and on
rival ad platforms.
“The changes Google has agreed to make will ensure that consumers
continue to reap the benefits of competition in the online marketplace
and in the market for innovative wireless devices they enjoy,” said FTC
Chairman Jon Leibowitz in a statement.
“This was an incredibly thorough and careful investigation by the
Commission, and the outcome is a strong and enforceable set of
agreements.”
“We are especially glad to see that Google will live up to its
commitments to license its standard-essential patents, which will ensure
that companies willing to license these patents can compete in the
market for wireless devices,” Leibowitz added. “This decision
strengthens the standard-setting process that is at the heart of
innovation in today’s technology markets.”
This was not Google’s first experience with the FTC.
The search engine giant was fined $22.5-million by the agency last
August to settle accusations it broke a privacy policy by “improperly
tracking Apple Safari users.” The penalty remains the biggest fine the
agency has imposed against a corporation for breaching a previous
agreement with the agency.
Google is also still attempting to settle a similar anti-trust
investigation in Europe. A resolution to that case is expected this
month as well.
“Since our preliminary talks with Google started in July, we have
substantially reduced our differences regarding possible ways to address
each of the four competition concerns expressed by the Commission”
competition policy, VP Joaquín Almunia said in a statement
last month. “After meeting Eric Schmidt, executive chairman of Google,
today in Brussels, I have decided to continue with the process toward
reaching an agreement based on Article 9 of the EU Antitrust regulation.
On the basis of the progress made, I now expect Google to come forward
with a detailed commitment text in January 2013.”
Post from: SiteProNews
Not Enough Evidence in Google Anti-Trust Claims, FTC Rules
