Google faces new complaint search

22 February 2011, Last updated at 17: 04 GMT Google faces more questions on how he approached other search engines to new complaint about suspected anti-competitive conduct Google was presented by the French search engine specialist 1plusV.

It follows similar complaints from price comparison site Foundem and ejustice. fr legal search engine last year.

Those triggered a probe of the European Commission in Google's business practices, which is ongoing.

Google said it was working with the EC, adding that "there was always room for improvement".

"We worked closely with the European Commission to explain many different parts of our business. While we have always tried to do the right thing for our users and advertisers, we realize that there is always room for improvement, "the company said in a statement.

Delisted sites

1plusV is the parent company of eJustice .fr and runs the so-called vertical engines specializing in law, music and culture.

It is said that between 2006 and 2010 Google prevented vertical search firms using its AdSense online advertising service.

1PlusV, "This is the only really effective way to get targeted advertising on a search engine," said in a statement.

It also maintains that, in the weeks following the original complaint, Google delisted sites published by it.

"EJustice .fr, was disastrous in terms of its traffic, Google's decision to remove it from its search results," he said.

Google said it depends on the positioning on search results as a particular site is valuable for its users.

It said companies to improve their websites allow you to move the rankings.

But 1plusV said that eJustice. fr has been relisted in December, without modification.

"REList is in complete contradiction with the topic of Google that eJustice. fr was demolished because it does not provide any value to the user of the internet," said 1plusV.

The European Commission said it would give the opportunity to comment on the statements before deciding what to do with Google.

If Google is guilty of abuse of a dominant position in the search or advertising markets could face a hefty fine.

Google faces new Antitrust complaints in Europe

Brussels — Google has tackled new accusations on Tuesday that it was blocking a small European search service, limiting the use of its powerful system to attract advertisers.

A French company, 1plusV, which owns the Ejustice .fr, one of the three companies that have already deposited accusations against Google, has said that he sent a supplementary complaint to the European Commission, the European Union's executive body.

The Commission initiated a formal antitrust investigation of Google, three months ago looking for evidence that Google had the power to shut out competition and restrict advertisers to do business with other search engines.

A Commission spokesman, Amadeu Altafaj, said "give Google the ability to comment on the accusations levelled before deciding on what, if any further steps to take."

Google's advertising service, called AdSense, allows advertisers to buy a keyword, when you type in a search query, produces a link advertising alongside the search results. Marie-Cécile Rameau, a lawyer who represents 1plusV, said that Google was preventing the websites operated by 1plusV from using AdSense with its search technology.

MS. Rameau, who practice "hinders development of efficient vertical search engines" that could compete with the specialist services of Google, said in Brussels. It also prevented consumers access to technologies that could provide them with more search options, he said.

At Verney, a Google spokesman, said that it continued to work closely with the European Commission to explain many different parts of our business. " He refused to comment on specific allegations from 1plusV.

Echoing earlier statements from Google on the case in Europe, Mr. Verney said the company had "always tried to do the right thing for our users and advertisers" and added, "there is always room for improvement."

In a complaint to the regulatory authorities a year ago, the European Ejustice. fr claimed that Google has removed most of its pages to an online index. Consequently, the ejustice said visits to its site suddenly dropped so sharply that was actually invisible on the Web.

But he said that the action was necessary because Ejustice. fr was violating its guidelines on how to make your website findable in Google search engine. That was a problem, according to Google, because users might end up never find a Web page with the answer to their question — just several pages of search results.

Bruno Guillard, owner of 1plusV, said Tuesday that Google had begun to make those pages findable again on its search engine as part of a process known as whitelisting, which started after the European Union regulators launched their formal investigation on 30 November.

MS. Rameau, the lawyer said, "The whitelisting massive since the opening of proceedings by the Commission clearly demonstrates that the blacklist, in March, was completely arbitrary".

Mr. Guillard said Google's actions meant losses for its holding of "a lot of millions" of dollars, but he refused to give a specific number. Aides to Mr. Guillard, said the company was still calculate total losses.

Mr. Guillard also said Google's actions meant that another site powered by 1plusV, Eguides, had lost a contract with the French national library to help make their resources available online.

"Due to traffic collapse" French library "understandably thought Eguides. fr was no longer a suitable partner and signed an agreement with Microsoft," said 1plusV.

Travel deal Google faces regulatory turbulence (AP)

By MICHAEL LIEDTKE and JOELLE TESSLER, AP Technology writers Michael Liedtke and Joelle Tessler, Ap technology writers – 1 HR 57 min ago

SAN FRANCISCO – Google wants to become the hub of online travel, promising opportunities and better convenience by fusing wizardry of the Internet search leader with top Web fare tracker, ITA Software.

That has existing online travel sites such as Kayak, Expedia and Travelocity worried that they don't stand a chance to compete, a scenario that could lead to higher prices.

The Department of Justice of the United States is expected to soon decide whether to let Google Inc. buy IT for $ 700 million. The deal would give Google control over the software that has helped power systems, reservation of the major U.S. airlines and a fleet of fare-comparison services online over the past decade.

The review of Government could serve as a proof of how aggressively U.S. antitrust regulators intend Google police how the company uses the wealth and influence gained since its dominance in Internet search to expand into more profitable markets. The u.s. market for online travel bookings amounted to approximately 80 billion per year, according to Forrester research.

Google says IT owns, the brainchild of computer scientists specializing in artificial intelligence at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, would lead to lower prices and most convenient ways to purchase tickets on the Internet. For example, travelers could tell Google what they could afford to spend a warm place to visit on certain dates and the search engine would turn into a tourist guide.

But critics argue that Google would be able to interfere with other travel services to bury them in its search results or denying their latest technical innovations of the ITA. Google has promised only honour all contracts in progress of ITA, which expire in the next few years.

"Google will leverage over the entire flight online industry," said Thomas Barnett, a former head of the antitrust Division of the Department of justice. A lawyer in private practice, Barnett has become Expedia Inc., who banded with services such as Microsoft Corp. 's online travel. Bing, Travelocity, Kayak Software Corp. and Farelogix Inc. oppose the deal ITA.

Google has promised not to sell tickets or make other travel arrangements on its own site. Rather, Google sends people elsewhere to purchase the tickets and reservations for hotels and car rental. These sites are earning commissions.

But competitors say there is no guarantee about who would get the traffic. Google, for example, you may simply send visitors directly to the selected airline or hotel and ignore the existing referral and reservation services, denying their commissions.

Online travel companies also fear that Google would place its recommendations for travel on top of its search results page, influential, put them in a situation of disadvantage.

Google has already been accused of promoting their services — such as mapping, video and finance — in its search results. The company says that users prefer these services. But European regulators and the Attorney General of Texas have opened investigations for Google's business practices.

As a sign of his influence, Google already many fields travel requires that its search engine represents an estimated 30 percent of traffic to travel sites. ITA technology could allow Google to attract a greater share of travel research.

Google, however, it seems less interested in doing commissions. Rather, it seems to want to improve the results of the trip, so that I can keep users and sell more ads. According to some estimates, travel advertisers account for about 10 percent, or nearly $ 3 billion, Google's annual revenue.

The fear is that if Google Gets a larger share of searches, it would be better placed to command higher ad rates from airlines, hotels, rental car agencies and other leisure facilities.

Top searches for fares would even Google spend additional insights when people are planning to travel and how much money you are willing. What about data that the company could sell advertisers, said Forrester Research Analyst Henry Harteveldt travel.

Not all opponents of the agreement are based on ITA. Expedia, for one, uses its own software, while the other two services companies, travel and Hotwire, TripAdvisor depend ITA. Other important services that have no need of ITA include Travelocity, which uses the Sabre system and Priceline.

Google believes that these alternative tools show there would still be a large competition if it takes control of ITA.

But IT is the most comprehensive database because of its links with most major U.S. airlines, said Robert Birge, chief marketing officer of Kayaking. ITA also has the best system to track the most recent changes as regular carriers tariffs, tracking Birge said.

"Having access to data that no one else has, ' he said. "Know which airline seats are available for what price right now."

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Tessler reported from Washington.

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Online:

Google topics for approval:

http://www.Google.com/Press/ITA

Opposing the deal sites travel: http://www.fairsearch.org