“The Justice Department has quietly hired one of the nation’s best-known litigators, former Walt Disney Co. vice chairman Sanford Litvack, for a possible antitrust challenge to Google Inc.’s growing power in advertising,” John R. Wilke reports for The Wall Street Journal.
“Mr. Litvack’s hiring is the strongest signal yet that the U.S. is preparing to take court action against Google and its search-advertising deal with Yahoo Inc. The two companies combined would account for more than 80% of U.S. online-search ads,” Wilke reports.
“For weeks, U.S. lawyers have been deposing witnesses and issuing subpoenas for documents to support a challenge to the deal, lawyers close to the review said. Such efforts don’t always mean a case will be brought, however,” Wilke reports.
“The Wall Street Journal reported Monday that a group of major advertisers complained to the department about the deal. The Association of National Advertisers, which represents major advertisers such as Procter & Gamble Co. and General Motors Corp., warned that the deal could lead to higher prices and limited opportunities for Web advertisers,” Wilke reports.
“Microsoft also has objected to the deal, saying it would unfairly foreclose competition on the Web. In Senate hearings in July, Microsoft’s general counsel, Brad Smith, testified that ‘if search is the gateway to the Internet, and most people believe that it is, this deal will put Google in position to own that gateway and the information that flows through it,'” Wilke reports.
Full article here.
Microsoft. Masters of Hypocrisy.
“For weeks, U.S. lawyers have been deposing witnesses . . .”
Strange name on the list: Beve Stallmer.
“Microsoft also has objected to the deal, saying it would unfairly foreclose competition on the Web.
From streetwalker to virgin in three months! When they tried to gobble up Yahoo, they wanted to achieve dominance, too.
“Microsoft also has objected to the deal, saying it would unfairly foreclose competition on the Web.”
Two words for you M$ – fuck off.
Hey DOJ, Google THIS!!
Did MS say that with a straight face?
Come on, spend a little more money in the R&D;with innovative people and less on the lawyers.
Apple’s OS X will take down Windows with innovation and R&D;the same way they now dominated the mp3 market and soon the smart phone market.
Have a little character people!
This is where we find out just how much MS controls the DOJ.
Either the DOJ doesn’t mind allowing dominant companies (such as Microsoft) to monopolize, or they only allow *certain* companies to do so.
MW: bad
“Did MS say that with a straight face?”
As MDN is fond of saying, having a monopoly is not illegal, abusing it is. I can’t think of a way that Google has abused its dominant position in web advertising yet.
Guess that means it’s time for Google to hire some full-time lobbyists in Washington.
Its rather ironic that Microsoft should object to monopolistic behavior of ANYONE.
They mean it would unfairly ruin their monopoly.