Google Facing Antitrust Scrutiny in Europe Over Android

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Dear Google,

While we are deciding whether or not to move against you for anti-competitive search practices, we decided to kill some time by investigating Android.

Signed,

Your friends at the EU

The new complaint was filed by Fairsearch Europe, a group of companies that includes Microsoft, Nokia, and Oracle. The group accuses Google of using Android "as a deceptive way to build advantages for key Google apps in 70 percent of the smartphones shipped today," Thomas Vinje, the lead lawyer for Fairsearch Europe, told the Times.
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So basically, people who are unable to compete with Google by releasing a superior product are now bribing government officials to try and interfere with them.

This has nothing to do with anything other than sour grapes from Micro$oft, their shill Nokia, and Oracle, who is still fuming from the fact that they were not allowed to copyright an API.

Fuck them.
 
How come iOS has a big chunk of Mobile. Its not like windows with 90% market share.
 
I have never understood this reasoning. Android is Google's own product. How is adding additional functionality to their own product "anti-competitive"? Android is by far the most open and free OS for mobile phones. I can't understand how you could label it anti-competitive - I mean look at iOS.

Same deal with Microsoft and browsers in EU. Ridiculous. I love a lot of things about Europe, but these lawsuits are completely frivolous and absurd.
 
Ive never agreed with anti competitive rulings in regards to software.
 
EU wants another bailout? I'm shocked. /s

Apple is the ultimate monopolist, as far as their business practices on iOS are concerned. But they're going after Android, which allows competitive search engines, apps stores, media stores, location based services and open... just about everything else? Their system must be horribly corrupt if they're going after Google before reducing Apple's policies to ruins.
 
if you removed Gapps from my phone it simply would not work.

I really don't get this.
 
wow the EU are a bunch of whiny twats aren't they? every month you hear a story about them bitching about something.. looking for a payout I'm sure
 
I guess if it was wrong for microsoft to bundle IE then I could see how android favoring google's own apps and integration could also be looked at the same way. Not that I agree with it, but doesn't it seem consistent, at least?
 
Cali3350 said:
Ive never agreed with anti competitive rulings in regards to software.
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It really doesn't make sense in regards to any market where they are complaining about companies "bundling" products.

If they go after an OS maker for bundling software with their OS, then they should also go after car makers for bundling motors with their cars, or sandwich shops for bundling bread with meat and cheese.
 
IRSmurf said:
Apple is the ultimate monopolist, as far as their business practices on iOS are concerned. But they're going after Android, which allows competitive search engines, apps stores, media stores, location based services and open...
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Where the hell in the article does it say that Apple is going after Android?
 
Yep, it's time for them to taste their own medicine. I'm sure google would do the same thing if Microsoft locks them out of Windows OS.

AaronGant said:
I guess if it was wrong for microsoft to bundle IE then I could see how android favoring google's own apps and integration could also be looked at the same way. Not that I agree with it, but doesn't it seem consistent, at least?
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Techx said:
wow the EU are a bunch of whiny twats aren't they? every month you hear a story about them bitching about something.. looking for a payout I'm sure
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To be fair, the complain was filed by a group of company including Microsoft and Oracle.

The new complaint was filed by Fairsearch Europe, a group of companies that includes Microsoft, Nokia, and Oracle. The group accuses Google of using Android "as a deceptive way to build advantages for key Google apps in 70 percent of the smartphones shipped today," Thomas Vinje, the lead lawyer for Fairsearch Europe, told the Times.
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MDboyz said:
Yep, it's time for them to taste their own medicine. I'm sure google would do the same thing if Microsoft locks them out of Windows OS.
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Nope not the same. Back in the day removal of IE with Windows 95B and Windows 98 Original was generally impossible for the average user. You weren't even given an option. Second, any manufacturer of Android phones can supply any software they want, any browser they want. Hell you can completely remove the browser of Android and provide something else. Don't like maps? Cool you don't need it. When I bought my Captivate Maps nor Navigation was installed I had to download it. What came with it was some ATT BS.

This is nothing more than a couple of companies with CEO's that couldn't manage a peanut butter and jelly sandwich inside of a paper bag.
 
EU broke as hell and looking for a money treee to shake money out of it.
 
Just two angry companies and a slave. This has nothing to do with EU government.

fatman360 said:
FFS Europe go find something productive to do and stop being a damn gold digger !!!! :(
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I bet a 2 grader can troll you if you fell for this one.
 
IRSmurf said:
EU wants another bailout? I'm shocked. /s
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fatman360 said:
FFS Europe go find something productive to do and stop being a damn gold digger !!!! :(
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ktk_ace said:
EU broke as hell and looking for a money treee to shake money out of it.
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Did you three failed to read the article ?

Techx said:
wow the EU are a bunch of whiny twats aren't they? every month you hear a story about them bitching about something.. looking for a payout I'm sure
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Microsoft and Oracle are EU ? That is new to me. And since when is start of investigation equal to punishment ?
 
GaryJohnson said:
It really doesn't make sense in regards to any market where they are complaining about companies "bundling" products.

If they go after an OS maker for bundling software with their OS, then they should also go after car makers for bundling motors with their cars, or sandwich shops for bundling bread with meat and cheese.
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If you're referring to the IE thing, the analogy is wrong.

Imagine if GM owned almost all the gas stations. Gas was $20/gal no matter what make car you drive, but you get a lease discount for GM cars with every gas purchase and can drive a new GM car for free. I think Ford of Toyota might have some anti-competitive complaints.

Unlike the Microsoft IE situation, its not clear if Google is using purchases of their platform to subsidize other features. They can subsidize those from other revenue. But as long as a feature is subsidized from other revenue, there's no way anyone can compete by producing a better product. The subsidized product will have more money behind it and be as good or better, or simply offer a huge cost advantage.

But I don't think that's quite the situation here. I think the complaint is more like a situation where say, AT&T and Verizon networks couldn't call each other. Say AT&T had 90% of the market. It wouldn't matter how much better Verizon's services were, as long as AT&T's prices weren't absurd, most people will opt for AT&T based on the sheer fact most people opt for AT&T. What good is a phone if you can barely call anyone. Verizon's days would be numbered. Which is probably how AT&T got their monopoly in the first place many moons ago.
 
Microsoft, Nokia, Oracle: "Google is killing our competition, Europe. Do something about it! Combined, we have billions of dollars to help bailout some of your countries."

EU: "Tempting, but we'll give it a shot."

Google: "Oh what now, Europe?"

Apple: "And, they never bothered to investigate me either?"

Google: "Oh, shut up. You have Samsung to worry about."

Apple: "Haha, you're right! Have fun in Europe, hope they don't sue you too much especially with your privacy issues with your products and all that jazz."

Google: "They're just a bunch of whiny twats that couldn't make a decent product worth selling to the general public. That's why they're angry."

Apple: "Does that make me a whiny twat, too?"

Google: "No, you're just a patent troll, and I don't sell my customers' private information you asshole."

Apple:: "Touche."
 
jpm100 said:
Imagine if GM owned almost all the gas stations. Gas was $20/gal no matter what make car you drive, but you get a lease discount for GM cars with every gas purchase and can drive a new GM car for free. I think Ford of Toyota might have some anti-competitive complaints.
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In that analogy, what's to keep Ford [strike=option]of[/s] and Toyota (or anybody) from building some gas stations and selling cheaper gas?

What's more, if the free GM cars in the analogy are IE, then the Toyota and Ford cars would be the other browsers which are also free. If you can get a free car from any of them, how does that make it unfair to Toyota and Ford?
 
Techx said:
wow the EU are a bunch of whiny twats aren't they? every month you hear a story about them bitching about something.. looking for a payout I'm sure
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Reading comprehension! Get some!

The lawsuit was submitted by a group of companies, not the EU itself.
 
Not sure how far this will go. Google pretty clearly has a monopoly in the smartphone space but it is unclear that they are abusing that position. There is nothing legally or morally wrong with monopolies, only the abuse of the monopoly position.

Apple has demonstrated the only way you can can compete with Android and that is with a tightly controlled and integrated ecosystem ... it might be possible for RIM to conpete with a similar approach ... for MS it probably isn't possible since they only own the software and not the SW and HW (like RIM and Apple) ... I think MS should focus on the tablet space where Android and Google are weaker and leave the phone space to Apple and Google
 
What a bunch of fucking pussies.

You invent a product. You fund it. It's yours. It works. It's good. People like to use it.
Shit comes with YOUR stuff that YOU invented or had invented for YOUR product.

If people want your product and it's cool shit, they have to buy it.

But no.....we'll whine and sue you because "it's just not fair"......

Socialism........sooner or later, you run out of other people's money. (Margaret Thatcher)
 
So I can totally by default use Google search on a Windows 8 phone right? Course not.
 
Its cause MS and Nokia are bombing and they know it. If MS wants to compete in the Mobile market they need to start giving away their OS for free.. MS is getting schooled with its own technique of giving shit away for free. They killed netscape, novell, and other competitors because they were giving stuff away for free in the OS but Google is giving the whole package away for free.
 
Rizen said:
I have never understood this reasoning. Android is Google's own product. How is adding additional functionality to their own product "anti-competitive"? Android is by far the most open and free OS for mobile phones. I can't understand how you could label it anti-competitive - I mean look at iOS.

Same deal with Microsoft and browsers in EU. Ridiculous. I love a lot of things about Europe, but these lawsuits are completely frivolous and absurd.
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It is the same deal with Microsoft and the browser. Completely stupid.

Android comes with the standard GApps, and those are getting too popular compared to the competition, so it has to be investigated and fines paid.

EU has this weird outlook on companies. Everything has to be 'fair'. If you are succeeding too much, you're being unfair. Depending on how much Google has to lose, I would love to see them just say "Ok. We're just pulling out of the Europe market. See ya'!". And watch the backlash from consumers. It would definitely suck, but the EU would be responsible for it.
 
MikeTrike said:
Is this all the EU does?
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That part of organization ? Yes. That is their job.

Just because it is on "EU level" it doesn't mean it is the only EU does. It is just one branch of many, and yes, antitrust bodies usually work on antitrust cases.
 
Ur_Mom said:
I would love to see them just say "Ok. We're just pulling out of the Europe market. See ya'!". And watch the backlash from consumers. It would definitely suck, but the EU would be responsible for it.
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Never gonna happen, money is money and they aren't just going to walk away from money.
 
Tudz said:
Never gonna happen, money is money and they aren't just going to walk away from money.
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Exactly. Even if they don't like regulations in EU (for which are they very well compensated in the prices they ask for their stuff compared to US), it is a 503 million market which only fools ignore (looking at Netflix/Hulu etc right now :D).
 
faugusztin said:
Exactly. Even if they don't like regulations in EU (for which are they very well compensated in the prices they ask for their stuff compared to US), it is a 503 million market which only fools ignore (looking at Netflix/Hulu etc right now :D).
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I think they are actually smarter to stay out of that market, the EU is obviously just as corrupt as the next government body. Why would you subject your company to these regulation in which you could get sued for just by having extra stuff with you product. They are saving themselves the headache of lawsuits in the future (not saying they will never move to that market). If you notice they companies that are under fire in the EU are those that make a ton of money and are very successful. Its pretty obvious they want more money from these companies. Why earn it when you can steal it from someone else right?
 
SomeoneElse said:
I think they are actually smarter to stay out of that market, the EU is obviously just as corrupt as the next government body. Why would you subject your company to these regulation in which you could get sued for just by having extra stuff with you product. They are saving themselves the headache of lawsuits in the future (not saying they will never move to that market). If you notice they companies that are under fire in the EU are those that make a ton of money and are very successful. Its pretty obvious they want more money from these companies. Why earn it when you can steal it from someone else right?
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It's never the companies that take the morale high ground. It's the people on the interwebs who think they know best that make comments like "they should just leave the EU!". The companies aren't going to leave because there's money to be made and the government knows that.
 
Tudz said:
It's never the companies that take the morale high ground. It's the people on the interwebs who think they know best that make comments like "they should just leave the EU!". The companies aren't going to leave because there's money to be made and the government knows that.
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It seems like no one takes the moral high ground anymore. Its kind of ridiculous really.
 
SomeoneElse said:
I think they are actually smarter to stay out of that market, the EU is obviously just as corrupt as the next government body. Why would you subject your company to these regulation in which you could get sued for just by having extra stuff with you product. They are saving themselves the headache of lawsuits in the future (not saying they will never move to that market). If you notice they companies that are under fire in the EU are those that make a ton of money and are very successful. Its pretty obvious they want more money from these companies. Why earn it when you can steal it from someone else right?
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Unless you are losing money in a market (which they are not) there is never a good reason to cede it completely ... all you do is present a foothold for a competitor (and that is never good) ;)
 
SomeoneElse said:
It seems like no one takes the moral high ground anymore. Its kind of ridiculous really.
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The moral high ground is great ... profit and protecting your market position is better ... at least for most businesses :cool:
 
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