Google and Microsoft are building off the new lovey-dovey relationship they embarked last year on when they agreed to stop suing each other over patents: the two best friends you ever did meet are not promising to drop all pending regulatory complaints against each other across the globe.
The tech amigos are also pinky-swearing that when issues arise in the future, they’ll sit down and talk things out like the close buddies they are, before escalating the conflict by tattling to regulators, Re/code reports.
“Microsoft has agreed to withdraw its regulatory complaints against Google, reflecting our changing legal priorities,” a Microsoft representative said in a statement to Re/code. “We will continue to focus on competing vigorously for business and for customers.”
Google echoed its new BFF’s sentiments in a statement, saying that it will also withdraw any regulatory complaints it’s made.
“Our companies compete vigorously, but we want to do so on the merits of our products, not in legal proceedings.”
It’s unclear at which point the two exchanged friendship bracelets (they already each have half of a heart treads “Best Friends” on a necklace).
Re/code points out that the timing of the whole thing is perhaps noteworthy, as Google is under fire from European regulators who claim that the company is hurting competition and innovation. Microsoft isn’t taking a side on that case, or another inquiry from the EU into Google Search, and has canceled its membership with two groups that support antitrust actions over Google’s search business. Because that is what best friends do.
Microsoft, Google agree to stop complaining to regulators about each other [Re/code]
by Mary Beth Quirk via Consumerist
No comments:
Post a Comment