hurricanemaxi
Joined: 08 Sep 2011 Posts: 66
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Posted: Thu Sep 22, 2011 4:10 am Post subject: Google Ad Rate for Microsoft Said to Be Under U.S. Investiga |
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U.S. antitrust enforcers are investigating whether Google Inc. (GOOG) illegally increased advertising rates 50-fold for rival Microsoft Corp. (MSFT), according to a person familiar with the matter.
The Federal Trade Commission is probing the increase, along with other allegations against Google related to advertising, as a result of complaints from Microsoft, according to the person, who wasn’t authorized to publicly comment. The complaints are being examined as part of a larger antitrust probe into Google that began earlier this year, the person said.
If true, the Microsoft allegations could be used to help the FTC build a case showing that Google abused its power as the owner of the world’s most popular search engine, violating the Sherman Act and other antitrust laws, said Andre Barlow, an antitrust lawyer at Doyle, Barlow & Mazard PLLC in Washington.
“A lot of this conduct, when put together with a firm with market power, could be viewed as a violation” of antitrust laws, said Barlow, who hasn’t been briefed on the investigation and doesn’t represent those involved.
When investigating the ad complaint, the FTC will consider the motives for the accusations by Microsoft, the world’s largest software maker and one of Google’s biggest competitors, said Barlow.
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