Google 'wants to dodge consent decree' in any FTC antitrust deal

Google is rumoured to be trying to persuade the Federal Trade Commission that it hasn't broken any antitrust laws and that any agreement it makes with the agency isn't bound by a consent decree. The Chocolate Factory is looking for a light wrist-slap for its alleged search market dominance as the agency finishes up its 19- …

[Atonnis]

Hah!

With all the legal fights between such companies in the tech arena, Google, Apple, Microsoft, Samsung, etc you cannot give Google any legal room in which to maneuver. If the FTC does, it's asking for it's own slap when Google does anything it wants and just declares any actions, no matter how monopolistic or unethical, to be under the umbrella of this 'a good chap's word' type of agreement.

[FunkyEric]

Do no evil

The post is required, and must contain letters.....

[Gannon (J.) Dick]

Re: Do no evil

If I get that Edmund Burke guy right, then the FTC must be Good Men hard at work.

"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing"

Oops. Sorry Burke didn't say that. Sorry.

He did say:

"It cannot at this time be too often repeated; line upon line; precept upon precept; until it comes into the currency of a proverb, To innovate is not to reform"

Even better, I think.

[Anonymous Coward]

Nice try Google. Who are you going to lobby to try to get the case dropped?

You can say what you like about Apple, but they're not under investigation for anti-trust or lobbying like mad to get laws changed like Google.

[Fred Flintstone]

I love it..

Not only do they only get a slap on the wrist with a diet feather, they have the cheek to demand changes too?

If I was the regulator I'd do my damnedest to find a way to replace the feather with something of substantially more substance as it's crystal clear that the fine does not modify behaviour as it is intended to (no surprise there).

[Kevin Johnston]

SEP?

Had a moment when reading the last sentence and thought it referred to the SEP field from HHGTTG. Scarey thing was it sort of fitted.

[Chris007]

nope

"Meanwhile, federal regulators are also getting interested in how standards-essential patents (SEP) are being used by Android manufacturers to effectively protect Google's share of the mobile market."

The SEP owners merely want paying for the use of their FRAND patents - some companies (<cough> Apple) seem to think they don't need or shouldn't have to pay anything or they should be allowed the right to determine what they pay (usually significantly less than existing FRAND payees).

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: nope

LOL, funny how the SEP owners are being investigated in the EU, USA, Japan and Korea over their abuse of their SEP's.

[Luther Blissett]

trying for a wink and a handshake

That would make G**gle about 2 days old :-) Or so it would like us to think. Voracious little b*gg*r isn't it?

[jnffarrell1]

FTC will get a budget cut and a legal precident against it

Bluffing only works if you can pretend that you hold some cards. Microsoft thinks the FTC should play the word Fair as in Fair Trade Commission, however, Congress did not commission the FTC to interpret the word Fair and legal precedent says the law protects consumers from harm, not losers with K-street lobbyists.