The U.S. Department of Justice, joined by attorneys general from 11 states, has filed an antitrust lawsuit against Google alleging it used its market power to thwart competition in search and advertising, setting up a battle on the level of the 1990s federal action against Microsoft.
The Federal Trade Commission is suing to block the $1.37B acquisition of affordable razor brand Harry’s Inc. by Schick owner Edgewell Personal Care. The FTC complaint alleges the acquisition would eliminate one of the most important competitive forces in the shaving industry. Edgewell and Harry’s say consumers would not be harmed.
Investigators from the FTC have begun interviewing merchants selling on Amazon’s third-party marketplace in an attempt to ascertain if the ecommerce giant is using anti-competitive practices, according to a report in Bloomberg. They’re asking merchants how much business they do on Amazon.com vs. other major marketplaces.
Staples, Inc. and Office Depot, Inc. have issued the following open letter to customers after the U.S. Federal Trade Commission announced earlier today their decision to challenge the merger of the two companies.
The RadioShack case highlights the need to create a “Nature Conservancy” of sorts to protect consumer data when a bankrupt company’s assets are sold.