Financial Times Claims Google Under Investigation By EU
July 3, 2013
In the article titled EU Investigating Google’s Android Licensing Practices on Datamation, the claims made by the Financial Times that documents exist regarding an EU antitrust investigation into Google. While this is not the first of such investigations, it is the first time that the Android licensing practices have been the focus. The article explains,
“Daniel Thomas and Alex Barker with the Financial Times reported, “Google is facing an investigation by European authorities into allegations that it supported the leading Android smartphone platform and its mobile services by means of cut-price licensing and exclusivity deals. According to documents seen by the Financial Times, the Brussels antitrust watchdog has focused on allegedly anti-competitive deals struck between the US technology company and smartphone providers.” The Telegraph’s Olivia Goldhill added, “The informal investigation… follows complaints in April from 14 companies.”
Companies named as part of the complaint include Microsoft and Nokia. The investigation is still in the early stages, but presumably will decide whether or not Google is guilty of licensing Android “below cost”, as well as whether Google has exclusivity agreements with manufacturers. Google replied via CNET, saying that consumers have the option to use Android how they please. Europe’s reception of Google has bordered on frosty for the last several years, but no investigations have resulted in anything, as yet.
Chelsea Kerwin, July 03, 2013
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext.
Comments
-
- Subscribe to Beyond Search
Feature archive
News archive
-
