EU: Google woes extended into its Motorola unit

While news recently emerged that it will take at least until the summer for the European Commission to decide whether to accept a proposed settlement with Google over the company’s methods for presenting search results, Google’s woes with the Commission extend further than that single case. According to reports, Google’s unit Motorola Mobility Holdings has its own conflict with the watchdog concerning its patent ownerships. Those patents are used for various electronics produced by companies like Apple and Microsoft. The Commission is looking into whether Motorola is abusing its dominance by blocking rivals’ use of those patents, according to three anonymous sources, though the Commission has yet to send a formal complaint against the company. It’s part of a wider crackdown on so-called “patent trolls” and various patent cases that the authority has looked into. Google acquired Motorola Mobility for $12.4 billion in 2012.

Full Content: Businessweek

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