Animals, whom we have made our slaves, we do not like to consider our equal - Charles Darwin
|
|
|
Google admits to EU investigation
INTERNET OCTOPUS Google has admitted that the European Commission is investigating it for possible monopolistic practices.
In its admission about the investigation Google went on the offensive, laying into the sources of two of the three complaints. Perhaps unsurprisingly, instead of going for the websites themselves Google believes that Microsoft put them up to their litigious activities.
Two of the three plaintiffs are price comparison websites, Ciao and Foundem, while the third is a French legal search engine going by the name of ejustice.fr. All claim to have been wronged by their search results position as calculated by Google's Pagerank algorithm.
In a surprise move, Google pointed out that both Ciao and Foundem are either parts of, or indirectly funded by Microsoft. In the case of Ciao, it seems more like lovers remorse as Google says they had a "good relationship" with the website prior to its acquisition by Microsoft. Once that occurred Google started to receive complaints about its terms and conditions, leading to an initial case filed with The Bundeskartellamt, Germany's competition commission. That complaint has now been moved onto the European Competition Commission in Brussels.
For Google, Foundem and ejustice.fr's complaints hit at the core of its search business, as both have accused Google of partiality due to the fact that they are both vertical search engines, somewhat like Google itself. Google however is saying that many other vertical search engines are listed in its search results and it has yet to hear any complaints from them.
Pagerank is Google's fundamental technology and cash cow. For years webmasters have been keen to exploit aspects of it to feature closer to the top of its results. Every so often Google updates the algorithm, which can lead to sites that were near the top of keyword searches ending up buried several pages down.
Google is wary that its dominant position in the search market might leave it open to accusations about its Pagerank algorithm. However with this statement there are echoes of Microsoft's battle against Linux using SCO as a proxy. That struggle has lasted several years but Google will be hoping the final outcome will be the same, though the goal of seeing Microsoft tossed on the scrapheap of technology might be a little too optimistic. µ
Tags: Google
Share this:
Share
Remember EU need funds to bail out Greece
Makes sense :)
Have you heard about Real-time Fishing LBS Contents? We have proposed this Service Model to Google over 4 years ago. Real-time Fishing LBS Contents is Location Based Service for IPTV, WiMAX, Mobile. This Service Model was created in 2002 by I&IWorld. I&IWorld's located in South Korea. As you know, there're many people enjoy fishing in the world(about 5 hundred million). I&IWorld's Real-time Fishing LBS Contents is like these.
*Main Functions*
1.The underwater topography and 3D views with fishing spots
2.Real-time fishing points tracing by GPS and angling direction guide
3.Service the real-time fishing condition about fishing place(weather, water temp, depth etc)
4.Angler Social network(such as Second Life)
Everyone knows that Google motto is, 'Don't be evil.' Is it all right? Visit http://www.koreacontent.org/weben/index.jsp, and type 'Real-time Fishing LBS Contents'. Search http://www.koreacontent.org/co/i/iiworld/index.html. If you need more information, please send your email address.
"And of course they push IE, just like Google pushes Chrome."
Who are you trying to Fool MR. BillF. either you are stupid or think that we are all fools. That's the M$ way, more FUD...
I agree with Bas 100%.
You sure about that? Maybe an IBM? They'll be happy to sell you one OS-less machine, after a court meeting and signing a NDA on the terms of sale...
So you are forced to buy Windows with a Mac? You are forced to buy Windows with a linux/GNU system?
Don't buy Acer, buy something else.
Oh and the whole M$ thing is SOOOO 1990's. I understand living in Belgium can be like living in the 1990's, but get with the times would you?
Microsoft doesn't FORCE Bing onto you, any more than Google forces Google onto you. And of course they push IE, just like Google pushes Chrome.
My goodness you live in a strange world.
How can you have a monopoly when nobody is forced to use them?
Everybody is FORCED to buy Windows with their computer....
But nobody is forced to use Google!
I tried to buy Acer in Belgium WITHOUT Windows, Impossible!
And tried to buy in Holland where they DO deliver without Windows but they do not ship to Belgium.
I HATE M$ for their monopoly!!
But I do not hate Google, they force nothing.
Microsoft FORCES BING onto you, as well as IE where ever they can.
You PAY for that crap!
Big difference.