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Showing results for:  “google”

The folly of the FTC’s Section Five case against Google

In the past weeks, the chatter surrounding a possible FTC antitrust case against Google has risen in volume, thanks largely to the FTC’s hiring of litigator Beth Wilkinson.  The question remains, however, what this aggressive move portends and, more importantly, why the FTC is taking it. It is worth noting at the outset that, as ... The folly of the FTC’s Section Five case against Google

Joking about politics

On November 3rd, the president of the United States spoke at the Hotel Lowry in St. Paul, Minnesota, in what was billed repeatedly as a bi-partisan address. The president ridiculed reactionaries in Congress who he claimed represented the wealthy and the powerful, and whose “theory seems to be that if these groups are prosperous, they ... Joking about politics

I Will be Participating Today on the Live Webcast “This Week in Law”

Today at 11AM PT I will be participating on the live webcast “This Week in Law” along with TechFreedom Senior Adjunct Fellow Larry Downes. Denise Howell will be hosting and we will also be joined by fellow participant Evan Brown. This week we will be discussing various topics in tech policy including Senator Al Franken’s ... I Will be Participating Today on the Live Webcast “This Week in Law”

Europe Should Let Competition Run Its Course In Motorola Patent Dispute

On Tuesday the European Commission opened formal proceedings against Motorola Mobility based on its patent licensing practices surrounding some of its core cellular telephony, Internet video and Wi-fi technology. The Commission’s concerns, echoing those raised by Microsoft and Apple, center on Motorola’s allegedly high royalty rates and its efforts to use injunctions to enforce the ... Europe Should Let Competition Run Its Course In Motorola Patent Dispute

The DOJ’s Problematic Attack on Property Rights Through Merger Review

The DOJ’s recent press release on the Google/Motorola, Rockstar Bidco, and Apple/ Novell transactions struck me as a bit odd when I read it.  As I’ve now had a bit of time to digest it, I’ve grown to really dislike it.  For those who have not followed Jorge Contreras had an excellent summary of events ... The DOJ’s Problematic Attack on Property Rights Through Merger Review

Competition for Distribution, Search Engine Edition

A recent report notes that while Apple may be shifting away from Google Maps, Google remains the default search engine in Safari, and thus, remains the default search on a variety of Apple devices.  Google competes vigorously for this right; indeed, competition among search engines drives the price paid to Apple for its ability to ... Competition for Distribution, Search Engine Edition

Google Isn’t ‘Leveraging Its Dominance,’ It’s Fighting To Avoid Obsolescence

Six months may not seem a great deal of time in the general business world, but in the Internet space it’s a lifetime as new websites, tools and features are introduced every day that change where and how users get and share information. The rise of Facebook is a great example: the social networking platform ... Google Isn’t ‘Leveraging Its Dominance,’ It’s Fighting To Avoid Obsolescence

Federalist Society Event (March 14): Antitrust as Regulation?

You can register here.  From the website description: The popular press is full of reports of a renewed vigor in parts of our antitrust enforcement regime that address the conduct of leading firms. Investigations have been started or rumored against any number of firms near or at the top of various parts of the technology ... Federalist Society Event (March 14): Antitrust as Regulation?

Amit Singhal on the Past, Present, and Future of Search

Pretty interesting interview with Google’s Senior VP Amit Singhal on where search technology is headed.  In the article, Singhal describes the shift from a content-based, keyword index  to incorporating links and other signals to improve query results.  The most interesting part of the interview is about what is next. Google now wants to transform words that ... Amit Singhal on the Past, Present, and Future of Search

Reference Bloat in Management Journals Meets its Match

Peter Klein offers up some thoughts on “reference bloat” in academic journals: Nature News (via Bronwyn Hall): One in five academics in a variety of social science and business fields say they have been asked to pad their papers with superfluous references in order to get published. The figures, from a survey published today in ... Reference Bloat in Management Journals Meets its Match

Congratulations to Bill Baer

President Obama has, as rumored, appointed Bill Baer (Arnold & Porter) to head the Antitrust Division.  Reuters reports: Baer, who is the chair of Arnold and Porter’s Antitrust Practice Group, also previously headed the Federal Trade Commission’s competition division when it stopped a merger between Staples and Office Depot in 1997. He will replace Sharis ... Congratulations to Bill Baer

Wright v. Rule at Columbia Law on Google and Antitrust

Charles (“Rick”) Rule, who represents Microsoft and is the head of the antitrust practice at Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP, and I had an opportunity to debate the various antitrust issues involving Google and its search engine on last week.  I didn’t have much of a chance to report here on the blog over the ... Wright v. Rule at Columbia Law on Google and Antitrust