FTC in favor of suing Google for patent antitrust violations, says Bloomber

[(Spork)]

http://www.theverge.com/2012/11/1/3587572/ftc-google-antitrust-suit-rumor

The US Federal Trade Commission is leaning towards a lawsuit over Google's patent licensing practices, Bloomberg reports. According to anonymous sources, a report to the FTC commissioners formally recommended that it sue Google for antitrust violations, and a majority of the commissioners are in favor of the suit, though a final decision won't be made until after the November 6th election. We already knew that the FTC report would probably recommend a lawsuit, but if these sources are correct, the suit itself is becoming more likely ? though it's still possible Google will settle or otherwise try to avoid legal action.

The FTC has been conducting a wide-ranging investigation for the past year and a half, covering whether Google has abused its dominance in search, given preference toservices like Google+, and used its Android platform to shut out competitors. This report, however, appears to involve patent licensing: the FTC has apparently decided thatGoogle-owned Motorola was indeed abusing standards-essential patents in disputes with Apple and Microsoft. If a suit is announced soon, it will be a surprisingly quick decision in one of the FTC's most recent investigations of Google.

[Growled Member]

This upcoming lawsuit, just like the antitrust lawsuit against Microsoft, is a complete waste of time.

[Farstrider]

.... and money!

[thealexweb]

So the bulk of the lawsuit will be inherited from Motorola, a botched acquisition to rival Microsoft's aQuantive should they lose.

[remixedcat]

why can't they do this crap against apple they do the same crap.... grrr

[Growled Member]

why can't they do this crap against apple they do the same crap.... grrr

I honestly wonder if Apple doesn't pay them off. They can get by with nearly anything.

[vcfan]

so google paid 12.5 billion for Motorola, who is losing money,and who got their phones banned for sale in the US by the ITC,and now the FTC is going after them for abusing their frand patents. All I have to say is LOL what a bunch of clowns. This is a close one between this and the time google was clowning around and bidding pi billion for the Nortel patents,and then Microsoft and apple formed an alliance and took the patents from under their nose,and then google started whining like bitches to the media.

All this is pure comedic gold.

[remixedcat]

I honestly wonder if Apple doesn't pay them off. They can get by with nearly anything.

Prolly. Been seeing a lot of legal types using thier products... including a lawyer that was using an ipad at cheddar's last time I went...