back to article EC officials voice doubts about Almunia's planned Google settlement deal

Brussels' competition chief is facing a challenge from some of his colleagues in the European Commission who may yet derail his efforts to strike a settlement deal with Google over its alleged abuse of dominance in the search market. Bloomberg reported, citing two sources familiar with the matter, that the EU's justice boss …

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  1. Alan Denman

    A lobbyist lobbying nightmare.

    When Microshaft hits the mix nothing quite makes sense.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: A lobbyist lobbying nightmare.

      When Microshaft hits the mix nothing quite makes sense.

      Yes, it's an entirely unfamiliar feeling to see MS on the right side of an argument, even if it is just feathering its own nest as usual.

      1. Paul Shirley

        Re: A lobbyist lobbying nightmare.

        It barely matters whether you believe MS are right,wrong about the complaint (or equivalently whether on not Google are guilty).

        MS and their posse of failure vertical search rivals don't want a fair or just settlement, measured by what's fair for EU citizens. Their self-serving interference has delayed any action and given Google opportunities to subvert the whole process in it's favour.

        Almunia has listened to the wrong people giving the wrong advice, people that benefit from Google polluting search, that want to keep it polluted but change who gains from that. It's only going to get worse, whatever the ruling.

      2. Turtle

        Re: A lobbyist lobbying nightmare.

        "even if it is just feathering its own nest as usual."

        Here's the interesting thing about government - particularly large-scale government: no matter what it does or doesn't do, someone's nest will get feathered and someone else's nest will get stripped. The parties with the most to gain or lose are the most likely to get involved but the effects of government action or inaction go beyond, and usually very far beyond, the most directly interested parties. Because oftentimes the mere possibility of its intervention has consequences, government is a behemoth that exerts highly-ramified economic influence merely by the fact of its existence.

  2. Bladeforce

    Microsoft disagree??

    Leave it be then it must be good! After all they should be dragged in front if the courts for their 90% desktop share

  3. Tyrion
    WTF?

    Strange Going's on

    > I cannot understand some voices [such as Microsoft] that have been involved in previous Article 9 commitment decisions, that now appear [to suggest] that a commitment decision is not an antitrust decision. I cannot understand this.

    I can. M$ want to punish Google, and they'll never be satisfied. They want to drag this out and force as many fines, conditions, and impediments as possible on Google's search business. And after that, they'll setup more proxies like FairSearch and ICOMP and go after Android as well. What's more concerning though is that Micro$haft seems to be dictating the terms of this antitrust investigation. Who's in charge of antitrust here? Europe or the American monopoly known as Microsoft?

  4. BigGdog

    A perfect example of the EU's bureaucracy, it looks like it will be decades before they all agree on a final decision.

    No doubt it will all end up with us getting a browser popup informing us of competing services a la Browser Choice and cookie notifications.

  5. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Dear EU: Your imperial days will not be returning.

  6. Tyrion
    FAIL

    The Big Elephant in the room

    It's a shame the EU can't tackle a real monopoly and its abusive practices, namely Microsoft.

    1. dogged

      Re: The Big Elephant in the room

      I just spent 5 seconds looking at your posting history.

      And then I compared and contrasted with your pro-Google anti-Microsoft stance regardless of the matter under discussion. You're certainly consistent, aren't you?

      1. Anonymous Coward
        WTF?

        Optional

        Pot, meet kettle.

        1. dogged

          Re: Optional

          I'm consistently in favour of people using what suits them best. I don't pretend to know what that is in every case but then, the mad evangelists don't know either. They just claim to.

          I'm also consistently over the "ZOMG M$ ARE EEEEBILS" that appears to afflict the idiocracy of commentards.

          My consistent line is

          - Google are bad news pretending to be fwuffy bunnies.

          - Apple aren't as bad. They do tend to lie about what they've invented and work along a scientology basis, but still not as bad. You can always not buy an iPhone.

          - Microsoft's main evil these days is that of incompetent marketing and a nightmarishly complicated corporate licensing program. Mostly harmless, if often mindboggling.

          - linux is great if it's for you. It's not for most people. Especially when Google are making it into spyware.

          - as dev/architect who has worked with Oracle products for many years, my considered view is that Larry Ellison hates us all. Fuck him right back.

          I think that covers it.

          What's yours?

          1. Trevor_Pott Gold badge

            "What's yours?"

            Oooh, "what are your philosophical predispositions?" I love this game!

            1) The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, or the one.

            2) The needs of the one outweigh the desires of of the many.

            3) The desires of the many outweigh the desires of the few.

            4a) Sometimes, to cross Borg space, you need to make a deal with the Devil

            4b) Remember that the scorpion will always sting the fox, it's his nature.

            5) Never pass up an opportunity to place someone else in your debt.

            6) If two men always agree, one of them is redundant.

            7) Dogma is deleterious.

            8) Liberty is of greater value than security.

            9) Long noun chains don't automatically imply security

            10) Life is too short.

            Stir the above and you get me. It's a philosophy mixture that ultimately informs how I treat everything. From companies to governments to people. My opinions of all will change as the companies/governments/people evolve, but the core philosophical beliefs the underpin my character are very difficult to modify.

            Ultimately, how any of us view a company - what actions, business models, customer interactions and so forth we view as "good" or "evil" - comes down to our personal philosophy. It always does. So rather than attempt to define how one feels about a company it is better to expend the self-awareness on coming to terms with the roots of your own core beliefs.

            Where did you learn them? Why do you still hold them to be true? What events in your life have reinforced them and made them such a fundamental part of you?

            Then - and only then - will you understand why feel the way you feel about the world around you. Then and only then will you be able to explain your take on the world to someone else.

            According to my philosophy, Google are indeed douchebuckets, but they may well be the lesser of many weevils.

      2. Tyrion
        Stop

        Re: The Big Elephant in the room

        > I just spent 5 seconds looking at your posting history.

        And 5 seconds looking at yours quickly reveals your pro-M$ anti-FOSS stance. I am pro-FOSS, I don't claim to be otherwise, can you say the same?

        1. dogged

          Re: The Big Elephant in the room

          I'm not anti-FOSS - I'm a debian user (and occasional contributor) and have been for nearly fifteen years as you'd know if you'd read my posting history instead of just shitting out accusations.

          I am anti-fucktard and anyone who will promote unsuitable tools is a fucktard. Following that up with "M$" merely confirms it.

    2. Lars Silver badge
      FAIL

      Re: The Big Elephant in the room

      They did.

  7. packman2008

    I'm getting fed up of the EU seeing big companies as cash cows to fill the EU coffers. They fine Google hundreds of millions of Euros, but where does that money come from? Google get their income from advertisers. Where do the advertisers get their money from? You and me when we buy from them. The EU should really class the fines as tax income because that's what they really are.

    1. Lars Silver badge

      I again is fed up with the toothless US DoJ forcing US companies to use the EU, forcing the EU to spend time and money.

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