EU: Google rival questions Almunia’s agenda in dominance abuse case

Reports say as European Commissioner Joaquin Almunia hints at a coming resolution to the long-standing Google investigation, which has twice required concessions from Google, the search giant’s rivals are intensifying their criticism of the case.

Competitors that filed the complaint are not only slamming Google’s second try at resolving the matter, but a lawyer for one of the complainants reportedly suggested that Almunia may simply be looking to resolve the case before his term is up.

More than one year of discussions and negotiations have accumulated to Google offering to show more of its rivals’ links in search results. While the exact details of the concessions have not been revealed, and while competitors admit they have not seen the complete offer, reports say complainants like Microsoft and Oracle are condemning the offer as one that is unlikely to resolve all concerns that Google abuses its dominance in the search engine market.

A lawyer for an unspecified complainant equated the settlement offer to “putting lipstick on a pig.”

Further, the lawyer said the situation now suggests Almunia “just wants to get a deal before his term as Commissioner is up next year.”

Full Content: The Telegraph

Want more news? Subscribe to CPI’s free daily newsletter for more headlines and updates on antitrust developments around the world.