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Microsoft Hires Key Anti-Google FTC Lawyer To Be Its New Chief Anti-Google Lobbyist
from the paying-a-little-too-much-attention-to-the-competition dept
There's something a little... disturbing about how gleefully Microsoft seems to want to sic antitrust regulators on Google. Given that the company went through its own long antitrust battle, you'd think that it would know better than to continually invoke the government's antitrust legal beagles against others. Instead, it seems to have taken the position that if it had to go through the antitrust rollers for so long, why shouldn't other successful companies. We've noted in the past Microsoft's fingerprints showing up on bizarre and silly antitrust claims against Google -- which have so far gone nowhere -- but Microsoft seems really intent on saddling Google with a long and costly antitrust battle. I guess Microsoft thinks it's easier to fight Google that way than, you know, actually innovating and competing in the marketplace. It's pretty sad just how anti-innovation these efforts are.
Either way, Microsoft appears to be stepping up its "saddle Google with antitrust charges" battle by hiring Randall Long from the FTC. Long was the key "anti-Google" lawyer within the FTC, who led multiple antitrust investigations into Google, and recommended that the FTC block Google's acquisition of AdMob (something he was outvoted on). Microsoft doesn't even seem to want to hide the fact that his role will be to lobby politicians in DC to hit Google with antitrust charges. The WSJ's report on the hiring is pretty explicit:
Either way, Microsoft appears to be stepping up its "saddle Google with antitrust charges" battle by hiring Randall Long from the FTC. Long was the key "anti-Google" lawyer within the FTC, who led multiple antitrust investigations into Google, and recommended that the FTC block Google's acquisition of AdMob (something he was outvoted on). Microsoft doesn't even seem to want to hide the fact that his role will be to lobby politicians in DC to hit Google with antitrust charges. The WSJ's report on the hiring is pretty explicit:
As part of his new job, Mr. Long will likely continue those efforts before the FTC and other agencies, a person familiar with the matter said.Of course, if Long actually follows the rules, he shouldn't be allowed to do anything concerning any FTC investigations into Google for quite some time. The ethics rules are pretty clear -- even barring "behind-the-scenes" help on such investigations:
Except as provided in this section, or otherwise specifically authorized by the Commission, no former member or employee (“former employee” or “employee”) of the Commission may communicate to or appear before the Commission, as attorney or counsel, or otherwise assist or advise behind-the-scenes, regarding a formal or informal proceeding or investigation...That certainly suggests that Long cannot and should not "continue those efforts before the FTC" for some time. Either way, it's yet another example of the questionable revolving door between government and the private sector, where ex-government officials end up in roles that have a very close connection to their former government role (or vice versa). Even assuming that Long follows all the rules, as I'm sure he intends to do, this kind of thing just looks really bad.
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Smear campaign in EU parliament
How Microsoft Pays Big Money To Smear Google In European Parliament
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Re: Smear campaign in EU parliament
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Re: Smear campaign in EU parliament
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Wonderful
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Better prepare...
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actually, no - let them take him out
Microsoft just shot themselves in the foot with the power grab here.
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Re: actually, no - let them take him out
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Re: Re: actually, no - let them take him out
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Truly they should be sent to hell for doing such horrible things!
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Oh, so that is why nobody want to hire you.
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I was going to saying: [insert obvious troll remark about how Microsoft is just hiring someone with relevant knowledge and experience for the position that completely ignores that there is even a possibility of something being ethically wrong with this hiring, because everyone knows that ethics get in the way of profit]
But your straight-faced parody of the absurdity of the usual troll position on the revolving door works really well too.
You were joking, right? :-)
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AC's response: Oh No! Microsoft hired someone with *gasp* experience and *shudder* knowledge.
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Microsoft is engaging in anti-competitive behavior and it ought to be investigated for this.
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Microsoft vs Google
Last year their SW failed on the London Stock Exchange, making Linux obligatory for Exchanges. The more incompetent they get, the more childish they act.
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Re: Microsoft vs Google
The last thing a market or culture needs is a powerful and incompetent antagonist.
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Re: Re: Microsoft vs Google
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So I could punch them in the face. Apple first, then Microsoft.
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toothless regulations
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Watching the war from all sides
It does make me think that big public (or soon to be public) companies behave in certain ways, no matter what the industry. I don't view the big tech companies as looking out for my interests any more than I view Walmart or McDonald's looking out for my interests. When it's all said and done, a lot happens to keep Wall Street happy. You need those quarterly numbers to look good to keep those stock prices high.
I'm hoping that all these battles keep these big companies in check. I don't want any of them to become so big they can't be taken down a bit.
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Re: Watching the war from all sides
This article, by Aaron Levie, co-founder and CEO at Box, touches upon one coming war.
Google Drive And The Cloud Wars | TechCrunch: "So get ready for a number of years of absolute rock-your-world style competition among major players fighting for your content and the cloud. Every photo you upload, every song you listen to, every video your capture. These guys want it. With around $200B in cash between Microsoft, Apple, and Google alone, cost is no issue; they see your data as the center of their universe. They’ll probably get it. I’m just happy to be swimming in enterprise waters."
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As to Google they have never asked me for a dime. They Give me Code, free OS's (Android), free Microsoft work arounds and a cool website. They give me an HTML 5 and CSS3 browser that is completely compliant for free. This is a beautiful thing. They are even developing new apps and programming interfaces for the web. FREE! How can you fault these guys. Sure they are a big and bad corporation and their support sucks (non-existent) but they do the web community a great service. jQuery wouldn't even exist under a Microsoft world. It became possible because of Google and the great help they give coders by hosting and making available the Google Code site. When was the last time Microsoft gave anything away?
Huh?
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