Microsoft complains, German cartel authority goes after Google
January 19, 2010 by Bernd Kling
Bundeskartellamt, watchdog for fair competition, is investigating Google for unfair practices following complaints from German publishers, an online maps service and competitor Microsoft.
The agency did not (yet) accept the publisher’s complaints which echo sentiments we all heard from media mogul Rupert Murdoch. They would like to get a lot of money from Google for “stealing our content” and would also like to have some influence on search results. Online maps service Euro-Cities AG would like to have Google investigated not liking the fact Google Maps are free of charge.
An investigation was now essentially prompted by Microsoft’s complaints, which is a complicated story in itself. There was a first Microsoft complaint claiming abuse of monopoly by Google. The agency did not follow on this complaint, though.
In a second complaint Microsoft claimed Google was annoyed about the first complaint and for this reason stopped negotiating the extension of an advertising contract with shopping portal Ciao which was acquired by Microsoft. If proven, this could violate German antitrust law which explicitly forbids causing business disadvantages to competitors who filed an antitrust complaint.
It is an official investigation now albeit a minor one, though it theoretically still could result in a fine of several millions Euro.
(bk)
Credits: Bundeskartellamt
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