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Google’s Internal Response to Imminent E.U. Charges

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Re: Google’s Internal Response to Imminent E.U. Charges

#31

Post by matthewmacleod »

sschueller wrote: post #20
thirdsun wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Market share is the differentiator in both scenarios.

So anti-competitive actions/feature/function is only a problem once you reach a certain market share?

Yes, of course.

There's nothing wrong with refusing to interoperate with competitors. The market often works to take care of that to some extent.

However, when you have one player which is manifestly more powerful than the competition, you don't have a fair market. The whole reason we have anti-trust legislation is the recognition that this isn't desirable, and that businesses with too much pressure can exert influence which is harmful to the market in the long term.

Re: Google’s Internal Response to Imminent E.U. Charges

#32

Post by abalos »

Sven7 wrote: post #26

Increased competition? Seriously Google. The current count of European Search Engines in your own memo is 0.

In Google's defense, they're also an American company. All of these companies are American companies. Thus, they're all competing in Europe.

Re: Google’s Internal Response to Imminent E.U. Charges

#34

Post by mobiplayer »

sschueller wrote: post #20
thirdsun wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Market share is the differentiator in both scenarios.

So anti-competitive actions/feature/function is only a problem once you reach a certain market share?

Yes. Every regulation out there is (should be?) created to protect the weak from the powerful.

Re: Google’s Internal Response to Imminent E.U. Charges

#35

Post by wongarsu »

>Mobile is changing everything — with the explosion of apps taking people directly to the information they want. Today 7 out of every 8 minutes on mobile devices is spent within apps.

How is that any different from people using websites directly? I don't see any change here, except that now 1 out of 8 minutes is apparently spent away from content?

>Apps that compete directly with Google such as [...] are easily available to Android users

They forgot to mention how you are not allowed to distribute alternative app stores over Google Play and can only be installed after changing the phone settings.

Re: Google’s Internal Response to Imminent E.U. Charges

#36

Post by microtonal »

davidw wrote: post #30
crdoconnor wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>tax rules detrimental to small businesses It's quite a common schtick among big businesses ( including the aforementioned monopolists) to blame the lack of small business competition on tax rules. The tax rules they refer to actually do nothing to small businesses, but they are usually detrimental to their own bottom line. This is how Google/Microsoft/Amazon ended up reaping such huge profits and paying such patheti…

As an American living in Italy, there really are more taxes and "death by a thousand cut" fees and rules here than in the US, from what I've seen. Everyone treats their Fords and Fiats well, but for smaller companies, it's all the red tape and small stuff that's most annoying, not even the overall tax level.

As an American living in Italy, there really are more taxes and "death by a thousand cut" fees and rules here than in the US, from what I've seen.

I like to pay a little more tax and actually have a decent healthcare system, social security net, and retirement.

One of the problems is that many of the large US corporations legally avoid tax via one of the tax havens (including my country of origin, The Netherlands). It creates an uneven playing field.

There is no reason why European companies couldn't compete. Taxes may be higher, but wages are lower, and costs may be significantly lower if you are in east Europe.

I also don't completely agree with the sentiment that started this thread, there are also plenty of European startups/ex-startups doing well: Booking.com, Spotify, Rovio, Mojang (Swedish) was just bought by Microsoft for 2.5 billion, Skype was also a European before it was purchased by Microsoft.

Re: Google’s Internal Response to Imminent E.U. Charges

#38

Post by kgrin »

thescrewdriver wrote: post #28
IBM wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

More than the fines is the ability to impose changes on their business practices. Imagine if Google could no longer require OEMs to bundle various Google products in order to get the Play store.

It's pretty crazy that they currently have the power/leverage to demand that of OEMs.

And yet when they don't, people decry (accurately!) the crappiness of non-"Google Edition" phones. For years now, the only Android devices truly competitive with iPhones have been the various Nexus/Google Play Edition/etc. devices - ones where Google has taken a heavy hand and enforced a more integrated (one might say "Apple-y") experience.

Indeed, early on in Android's life, Google was much more hands-off with the OEMs, letting a thousand flowers bloom... we got fragmentation and subpar devices, developers and consumers complained, and Google set forth on tightening the reins and exerting more control such that when people buy an "Android" phone, it means a particular experience. (And of course there's nothing stopping OEMs from shipping AOSP-based devices and just not calling them Android - as in fact a number have done).

Re: Google’s Internal Response to Imminent E.U. Charges

#39

Post by kgrin »

AlexMuir wrote: post #37

Today 7 out of every 8 minutes on mobile devices is spent within apps. That's the most interesting thing here. I'm interpreting it as meaning only 1 out of 8 minutes is spent browsing the internet or using the native SMS app.

I kind of wonder if they're counting "Chrome" as an app, and the 8th minute is actually SMS + phone (quaint, I know). I'd believe it either way, to be sure.

Re: Google’s Internal Response to Imminent E.U. Charges

#40

Post by wslh »

I applaud the EU not because I love regulations but because Google is tasting its own medicine.

Any country or group of countries with a shared legislation can be seen as a platform. Yes, like the software platforms we are discussing here in HN. You must obey their rules. People who wants 100% market freedom forget that when companies like Google has an incredible market share THEY ARE THE MARKET, and they impose their own rules (imposing agreements, modifying and limiting APIs, etc) just like the EU is doing now.

There is only one thing that leaves a bitter taste in my mouth, nobody is innovating enough to really compete with Google in some important fronts such as search. This can't be solved with regulations.

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