Original URL: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/01/31/google_submits_remedy_to_europe_competition_chief/
Google submits remedy proposals to EU antitrust chief - ICOMP
11th hour response from Mountain View, apparently
Posted in Government, 31st January 2013 12:42 GMT
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Updated Google has submitted a new round of proposals to the competition wing of the European Commission, which has fingered the search giant for possible "dominance abuse" [1], according to ICOMP.
It would appear that its latest effort to offer a remedy to antitrust concerns laid out last year by Commissioner Joaquin Almunia came at the eleventh hour.
Lobby group ICOMP tweeted [2] this morning: "MLex are reporting Google have responded to the EC with a proposal to remedy their search-advertising model."
Backers of ICOMP include Microsoft and UK-based price-comparison outfit Foundem - which filed its complaints to the EC and the US Federal Communications Commission in February 2010 when it argued that: consumer choice was being eroded, competition was suppressed and that innovation had - in its view - been stifled by Google's search business manoeuvres.
Google had until today to make a fresh submission to the EC, or else face possible sanctions.
Just yesterday, it was reported that Almunia had expressed skepticism about Google hitting that deadline. On Wednesday, the commissioner jabbed: "Today is the 30th and tomorrow is the 31st, so I can imagine the proposals are flying in..." ®
Update
A spokeswoman at the Commission told El Reg: "We have nothing to say for the time being but hope to have something later today." She reiterated that Google's deadline for submitting a proposal was set at midnight tonight. The Register has asked Google to comment on this story, but it hasn't yet responded.
This is a developing story. More to follow.