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42 Comments
- meltingrobot, on 10/11/2007, -1/+34How about they bust ATT back up first? WTF was the deal with letting them reform? Or how about looking into the jacked up mess that is being locked into a cell-company by contract?
- MasteRR, on 10/11/2007, -9/+30The FTC is willing to investigate Google but still completely ignores Microsoft?
- inactive, on 10/11/2007, -3/+23FTC AntiTrust investigators--please focus on media monopolies--the largest threat to free speech, correct information for citizens' to make good decisions, and to the Bill of Rights--well, next to the Patriot Act.
- xxdesmus, on 10/11/2007, -0/+19problems the FTC needs to look at:
Google/DoubleClick deal
Record Companies (price fixing and colluding)
Motion Picture Industry (price fixing and colluding)
ATT - johnhummel, on 10/11/2007, -3/+22@liverj00: Yes, and then Microsoft was found guilty of using monopoly practices in a predatory manner.
And their punishment? Evidently, they had to swear to never, ever do it again, sorry about destroying Netscape as a business and all, carry on. - Murdats, on 10/11/2007, -0/+14and for some reason apple hasnt been charged for doing the exact same thing, bundling software with their OS (more specifically their own browser with their own OS)
- lewhich, on 10/11/2007, -1/+14FTC wants Google to send lobbyists to negotiate.
- Matteos, on 10/11/2007, -3/+13Don't forget Big Oil/Gas Prices.
- pagefault, on 10/11/2007, -6/+16It's funny that the 90% desktop monopoly that Microsoft has and then is pushing for Antitrust suit against Google. The management of Microsoft is so pissed they lost the DoubleClick deal that the only way to get even is to send the FTC on them.
Microsoft, we know your going down. People understand your ***** company now more than ever. Just because someone (Google) created an idea, kept the source and idea to themselves, and rolled over your ass with a passion, don't cry. Someday when your company starts being innovative again you too will create a new product and maybe people will buy it.
Look at what you've done with your Zune player....
Look at what you've done with your online advertising.....
Look at what you've done with your Windows Virtual Earth....
Your so innovative. - Bossman1086, on 10/11/2007, -10/+17Seriously...if they're going after Google for this, they should go after Microsoft in the OS department.
- TheGuruStud, on 10/11/2007, -0/+7I think they need to worry about M$, Intel and many other before they piddle around with Google.
What's that? Google doesn't pay them off? Oh, now it makes sense. - GhostFreeman, on 10/11/2007, -3/+9I got a few more companies and organizations the FTC can investigate as well (doubt they ever will)
Microsoft
Apple
Big Oil
Big Four
MPAA
AT&T
News Corporation - seneyr, on 10/11/2007, -0/+6Amazing.
Gas is up $2 from almost 8 years ago and the FTC is going after Google. I guess Google needs to invest in some better lobbying firms.
Granted they are going to get a lot of flack for going after Google since Google hasn't really pissed off much of the geek population (really only the privacy nuts) unlike Microsoft years ago. However, there are much bigger fish to fry than Google.
EDIT: So if this ends up being blocked due to Anti-trust, what about Microsoft's recent acquisition? Didn't Yahoo go after an advertising company as well? If one company can't bring it's new toy to the sandbox without the hall monitor confiscating it, nobody else should be able to either. - fuzzynyanko, on 10/11/2007, -1/+7That's nice. Now go after AT&T
- johnhummel, on 10/11/2007, -1/+6@murdats: Last time I checked, Apple was neither a monopoly nor acted in a predatory manner.
The thing that got Microsoft in trouble wasn't including Internet Explorer in Windows. It was putting it into Windows, making it impossible to remove (save through extreme measures), then telling Dell and other PC manufacturers if they put Netscape on their systems the cost of Windows would increase for them.
*That* is the difference. Now you know. And knowing is half the battle. - liverj00, on 10/11/2007, -0/+5Because pay-as-you-go cell phones don't exist...
- geronimo, on 10/11/2007, -0/+3Although the administration dislikes Google due to Google refusing to comply with them, there's not a chance that they can find a legitimate reason to block Google. If there is, I have yet to see any good reason for such an action, with Microsoft it was a clear cut case.
- liverj00, on 10/11/2007, -7/+9They did investigate Microsoft. And filed a suit against them.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_v._Microsoft - jonpotz, on 10/11/2007, -2/+4Quote by Bush, "Them there companies be antitrustin without poppa bear's cut, investimagate em!"
No but seriously, this is a witch hunt. - bmartin, on 10/11/2007, -2/+4Are you familiar with "vertical integration"? John D. Rockefeller, the "richest man in history", was a master of this principle. DoubleClick is a business partner of Google; doing this would "cut out the middleman" in their advertising scheme, widening their profit margins, giving them a huge amount of leverage over other search engines which make most of their money from advertisements... not that I'd feel sorry for MS, because I wouldn't.
- brbubba, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2"liverj00- You're locked into a contract because they give you a free (or deeply discounted phone).
That razr would cost you $400 if you didn't sign a contract."
Yeah try walking into any Cell Phone carrier and say, hey I have my own phone and I want to start up service or even I want to buy a new phone without the discount. They will then proceed to tell you that you will have to get a free phone anyway and sign up for a contract. You can't get cell phone service without a contract. Now that reeks of a monopoly. The US is by far the most ass backward country when it comes to cell phone service and technology. - xxdesmus, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1you musta missed the part where Microsoft Virtual Earth beat Google Maps to the market on a lot of features, significant features. For example, the little "streets" thing Google just launched yesterday...Microsoft has been testing this for nearly 8 months at http://preview.local.live.com/
Yes, Microsoft did innovate, but instead of paying attention to that, like an ***** you try to hate Microsoft because it's "cool". - Tweakedenigma, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1As far as it goes it is probably a good idea I mean sure we all love google now but that doesn't mean we shouldn't check up on them. Also I would agree that more needs to be done about the MS problem but that doesn't excuse anyone else.
Also as for the Cell phone part you can buy the phone without a contract for what it cost and sign up(at least in Canada). The real probelm is that the phone is locked and you can't bring it to another provider even if you wanted to. - sdoodle, on 10/11/2007, -3/+4it will still go through, this means nothing
- geronimo, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1I don't see how this is anti-competitive - Valueclick, advertising.com, aquantive, etc are still in the picture doing very well.
- geronimo, on 10/11/2007, -1/+2Rockefeller controlled the pipelines, railroads, he controlled the refineries, he had a secret network of companies under the Standard Oil umbrella. He was able to cut off competitors at will. If you compare that to google then you need to read a history book! Google has competitors like right media, advertising.com, valueclick, aquantive, zedo, and they are all doing very well.
- MannaPC, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1@meltingrobot
I asked the same thing on how the government is allowing them to become what they once were (a monopoly) and the tech's reply was that the reason there first monopoly went sour was because they didn't let any other technologies in, they used AT&T phone jacks with AT&T cables with AT&T phones on AT&T switchboards and so on.
They now have contracted others to provide them with equipment, but either way they show monopoly like characteristics no matter what you say.
Aside from all that, sense the switch over our Cingular Cellphones and Bellsouth Highspeed ADSL have gone to hell and back... Especially internet, slow and cuts off a lot. - Fooldj, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1"Microsoft, we know your going down. People understand your ***** company now more than ever. Just because someone (Google) created an idea, kept the source and idea to themselves, and rolled over your ass with a passion, don't cry. Someday when your company starts being innovative again you too will create a new product and maybe people will buy it."
Microsoft was never an innovative company. MS has always taken ideas that were old and used, and turned them into the "big thing" with huge marketing and great timing. Then again, having great timing will do a great deal in this country. - dsn0wman, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1Not only are they going after Google, but they are doing it at Microsoft's request!
This is more than just a little fishy. - slapthemonkey, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1FTC can do investigation of many more, why only Google?
- bmartin, on 10/11/2007, -4/+4"What? Why? What has Microsoft done that was so wrong with Windows that the FTC need to go after them?"
Microsoft has a lot of proprietary frameworks and formats that aren't cross-platform. Perhaps the most notable of these is Direct X. It's not easy to take a piece of software that relies on Direct X and port it to another platform (unlike OpenGL or SDL or QT or GTK). That's one of the main reasons why games "written for Windows" aren't ported to other OS's. This leads to vendor lock-in, which leads to a monopoly. - drmobutu, on 10/11/2007, -1/+1Remember: Microsoft wanted to purchase Intuit, at one time, but they were stopped. I think that was during the Clinton administration...
- twistandturn1, on 10/11/2007, -2/+1What precisely is the antitrust violation -- given that Google and DoubleClick serve two completely different markets?
- r3bol, on 10/11/2007, -6/+4***** the FTC
- jsusanka, on 10/11/2007, -7/+4such bs - I guess microsoft complained loud enough
they should investigate the companies that force me to use their os because I can't view video/web pages over the internet.
never ran into a google web page that I could not view with my os of choice.
I guess forcing the common citizen to buy a certain product is okay with the FTC. - proverb, on 10/11/2007, -6/+3Who in M$ do we need to blame for this coming up?
- MasteRR, on 10/11/2007, -9/+6@Yarnage, for abusing their Monopoly, maybe?
Don't make me make a list. - Yarnage, on 10/11/2007, -11/+7What? Why? What has Microsoft done that was so wrong with Windows that the FTC need to go after them?
It seems like we punish successful companies in this country... - liverj00, on 10/11/2007, -8/+3@meltingrobot
You're locked into a contract because they give you a free (or deeply discounted phone).
That razr would cost you $400 if you didn't sign a contract. - balph, on 10/11/2007, -7/+2Like Google isn't a CIA front to begin with. The truth is out there, people.
- awesome19, on 10/11/2007, -12/+6A deadly alliance. Googles with DoubleClick is actually now stronger than CIA's intel system. Who wants to vote Google for presidency?
- mtaru6, on 10/11/2007, -8/+0I want to know about google strategy.I am google's great fan
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