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For Tech Sector, It's an Antitrust Year
IBM is now the target of a federal antitrust inquiry, but it's in good company in the tech sector.
Google, Intel and telecommunications providers in general have all faced antitrust-related probes in recent months. IBM's relates to its mainframe-computer business ─ rivals have complained that the company has abused its dominance of the market to limit competition.
Google's concerns its settlement with book publishers, which the Justice Department has criticized as raising antitrust, copyright and other legal issues. A U.S. district judge said yesterday that Google has until November to revise its settlement.
In May, chip maker Intel received the European Union's largest-ever antitrust fine after the regulatory group said it used its dominant position to keep PC makers from going with rival Advanced Micro Devices. Intel is appealing the ruling.
Back in the U.S., the Justice Department has given thought as to whether the exclusivity arrangements that big carriers like AT&T and Verizon ink with device makers ─ Apple's iPhone, which has an exclusive deal in the U.S. with AT&T, for example ─ unfairly limit competition with smaller players.
One company seeing the light at the end of the tunnel is Microsoft. After years of antitrust tangling and more than $2 billion in fines, the software giant may see an end to its charges by the end of the year, the EU said yesterday.
