Google facing antitrust complaint

1plusV have filed a complaint with the European commission claiming that Google Inc is abusing their market leader position.

1plusV create thematic internet search engines and they claimed today that Google are abusing their powers to prevent the development of alternative technologies by prioritising their own searches over competitors.

1plusV claim that Google have forced thematic search engines to adopt their own technology if they wish to use their advertising services, therefore limiting potential development of alternative technologies. They are also claiming that Google are ignoring requests by specific websites not to be listed among those search results, giving it another competitive edge over search engines who abide by the requests.

The French company 1plusV have said that Google have prioritised their own vertical or thematic searches for books over those of competitors, without differentiating them visually from the rest of the searches.

Marie Cecile Rameau, a lawyer at Paris based law firm Bredin Prat who are representing 1plus V said “Vertical search engines are specifically dangerous competitors because they give more added value, they are kind of a last bastion competition to Google.”

Google spokesperson Alistair Verney in Brussels said that they are working 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 recognize that there's always room for improvement.”

The European Commission have opened an investigation in November after receiving complaints from other Internet search providers that Google have abused its market position by placing competiting services lower than their own. The Commission is investigating if Google have deliberately lowered the position of unpaid competiting results for specific services.

KitGuru says: will 1plusV and other companies claim a victory for this? or are Google just too big to challenge.

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