I think they said "f**k America" first..... na na pants on fire!
Of course America would never try and protect it's own companies in this way, no it's only those ungrateful foreigners who would do it.
Bring on the xenophobia.Comment is buried, click here to see the rest.
Uhgg... France extorting Google for money, again. Better yet doing so because some map company with a dated business model needs Google to put up a pay wall to stay in business. Still if Google wasn't making money in France I'm sure they would have already left, and retarded lawsuits like this are just the cost of doing business in the EU.
The summary of this story is inconsistent with the facts laid out in the article:
"The French company provides the same services for a fee and claimed the Google strategy was aimed at undercutting competitors by temporarily swallowing the full cost until it gains control of the market."
If that's true, that they are deliberately undercutting temporarily only so they can charge an even higher price later once there is no more competition, then yes, that's anti-competitive.
The summary of this article makes it sound like the free Google maps service that individual users gain access to is anti-competitive. That is not the case though.
"If that's true, that they are deliberately undercutting temporarily only so they can charge an even higher price later once there is no more competition, then yes, that's anti-competitive."
but at the same time, the burden of proof on this would lie with the company suing google. the article is completely void of any kind of evidence to back their claim.
this looks like a case of google makes their money from ad revenue, and this other company charges a fee to its customers, and google has the more profitable business model and is coming out on top.
No, that's not what Google's maps for businesses service is. Google actually does charge businesses money for map API usage. There was a big story about that some time ago.
Their charges start at $10,000/year. But according to this case, they are waiving that fee to undercut the competition. However you're correct that the burden of proof is on the company suing that they will raise their prices above what is currently advertised as a result of lack of competition.
If I were a haircutter and Google started cutting hair as a free service (presumably to get wind of all the juicy gossip that hair professionals are privy to) I too would be concerned.
Google, while not evil in the traditional sense, offers free services to get people to open their komodo and provide for future sources of ad revenue.
The problem you have here is that when Google first got into the mapping business, all the other competitors were already offering it for free in the U.S. and Canada. They were surely not going to charge for it when Mapquest and Yahoo!maps were already free.
It's not Google's fault that France's mapping market was outdated when the rest of the world had that service for free.
Gee - Imagine what the French courts will do with all the anti-competitive Chinese companies that make goods imported into France. Working for those courts should provide employment for all unemployed French citizens (and any other person in Europe who needs a job).
thechauvinistFeb 2, 2012
I would say "ok, f**k France"
YabberdabberFeb 3, 2012
I think they said "f**k America" first..... na na pants on fire!
Of course America would never try and protect it's own companies in this way, no it's only those ungrateful foreigners who would do it.
Bring on the xenophobia.Comment is buried, click here to see the rest.
CaptainMiseryFeb 2, 2012
I would probably just turn off the mapping service for France...
matthrFeb 2, 2012
Uhgg... France extorting Google for money, again. Better yet doing so because some map company with a dated business model needs Google to put up a pay wall to stay in business. Still if Google wasn't making money in France I'm sure they would have already left, and retarded lawsuits like this are just the cost of doing business in the EU.
agmlauncherFeb 2, 2012
The summary of this story is inconsistent with the facts laid out in the article:
"The French company provides the same services for a fee and claimed the Google strategy was aimed at undercutting competitors by temporarily swallowing the full cost until it gains control of the market."
If that's true, that they are deliberately undercutting temporarily only so they can charge an even higher price later once there is no more competition, then yes, that's anti-competitive.
The summary of this article makes it sound like the free Google maps service that individual users gain access to is anti-competitive. That is not the case though.
kaiserarnyFeb 2, 2012
The article is from AFP (Agence France-Presse). So yes, it will feel bias towards anything French.
norman619Feb 2, 2012
A company should be free to charge whatever they like for their services. Government should not dictate things like that.
jimmyriceballFeb 3, 2012
Well, I'm guessing you're not a socialist douchebag from europe then.
reaper527Feb 3, 2012
"If that's true, that they are deliberately undercutting temporarily only so they can charge an even higher price later once there is no more competition, then yes, that's anti-competitive."
but at the same time, the burden of proof on this would lie with the company suing google. the article is completely void of any kind of evidence to back their claim.
this looks like a case of google makes their money from ad revenue, and this other company charges a fee to its customers, and google has the more profitable business model and is coming out on top.
agmlauncherFeb 3, 2012
No, that's not what Google's maps for businesses service is. Google actually does charge businesses money for map API usage. There was a big story about that some time ago.
Here's their FAQ
http://www.google.com/enterprise/earthmaps/maps-faq.html
Their charges start at $10,000/year. But according to this case, they are waiving that fee to undercut the competition. However you're correct that the burden of proof is on the company suing that they will raise their prices above what is currently advertised as a result of lack of competition.
worthwildFeb 2, 2012
If I were a haircutter and Google started cutting hair as a free service (presumably to get wind of all the juicy gossip that hair professionals are privy to) I too would be concerned.
Google, while not evil in the traditional sense, offers free services to get people to open their komodo and provide for future sources of ad revenue.
just sayin'
kaiserarnyFeb 2, 2012
The problem you have here is that when Google first got into the mapping business, all the other competitors were already offering it for free in the U.S. and Canada. They were surely not going to charge for it when Mapquest and Yahoo!maps were already free.
It's not Google's fault that France's mapping market was outdated when the rest of the world had that service for free.
spl3000Feb 3, 2012
So... having a new or different business model is to be repudiated in order to maintain the old one?
Closed AccountFeb 2, 2012
are ya sure we did the right thing by giving france back its independence??? j/k.
time for google to leave.
norman619Feb 2, 2012
Time for a few companies to leave that anti-business region. Well they really should leave before the coming revolt.
skipperjohnFeb 3, 2012
Gee - Imagine what the French courts will do with all the anti-competitive Chinese companies that make goods imported into France. Working for those courts should provide employment for all unemployed French citizens (and any other person in Europe who needs a job).
ImperatoreChicoFeb 3, 2012
agree
PretoriamediaFeb 3, 2012
Thats France
http://codfelaz.blogspot.com/
singhabhishek251Feb 3, 2012
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