Google to face European antitrust probe over Android, says report - by Lance Whitney

The European Union is prepping a formal investigation into whether Google is promoting its own Android apps and services over those of rival developers, The Wall Street Journal reported Friday.

The investigation into Android, uncovered by the Journal, is based on a questionnaire sent to mobile device companies inquiring about any deals with Google that demanded "exclusivity." In particular, the EU is looking for proof of any agreement in which Google prevented mobile device makers or carriers from pre-installing items that competed with the search giant's Android apps or services.

Mobile companies have also been asked whether they ever tried to restrict Google's "anti-fragmentation agreements," which require that all of the company's Android apps are bundled as a single package. If so, the EU wants to know Google's response.

Google has been through the ringer with antitrust regulators in Europe over the past two years. In February, the company reached a tentative settlement with the EU over complaints about its search practices by agreeing to display search results to its own services in the same way as those for rival businesses. But EU Competition Commissioner Joaquín Almunia is reconsidering the settlement in light of criticism from several of those rivals.

An antitrust probe into Google's Android practices could further bog down the company in European legalities, especially if the search practice settlement remains unresolved.

Read more: Google to face European antitrust probe over Android, says report - CNET

EU suspects telcos working against Apple and Google

Europe's top antitrust watchdog is mulling over an investigation against the European Union's five biggest telecommunication companies for possible anticompetitive collusion against potential competitors including Apple and Google.

The Commission has sent out questionnaires wanting information on meetings between Vodafone, France Telecom, Telecom Italia, Deutsche Telekom and Telefonica could have amounted to collusion. The GSMA, a trade body that represents telecommunications operators, has also been quizzed.

This fact finding is normally the first stage of a formal investigation. The five first met in October 2010 and apparently discussed strategy and standardisation issues.

For more: EU suspects telcos working against Apple and Google

EU Raids Pharmaceutical Companies - by ALESSANDRO TORELLO And STEN STOVALL

U.K.-based AstraZeneca PLC and Swiss drug maker Nycomed SCA confirmed Friday that European Union regulators had raided some of their offices this week in connection with an antitrust probe. The European Commission said it carried out the operations on the offices of pharmaceutical companies that allegedly delayed market entry of generic drug competitors for a specific medicine.


AstraZeneca confirmed that a number of its sites in Europe had been visited this week, mainly focusing on its top-seller heartburn drug, Nexium, also known as esomeprazole. Nycomed later confirmed that EU competition regulators inspected two of its sites in Germany. The EU commission said in a statement Friday that it "has reason to believe that the companies concerned may have acted individually or jointly, notably to delay generic entry for a particular medicine."

Friday's announcement is part of a years-long commission effort to crack down on anticompetitive practices in the pharmaceutical sector. The European Union's antitrust body is carrying out various investigations into alleged anti-competitive practices and focuses on pharmaceutical patent settlements that can delay the introduction of generic rivals.

Note EU-Digest: This is one of the reasons why the Wall Street Mafia does not like the EU and what it stands for.

For more: EU Raids Pharmaceutical Companies - WSJ.com