paidContent.org - Google's Schmidt Answers Antitrust Challenges

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Joseph Tartakoff

paidContent.org
Friday, May 8, 2009; 12:07 AM

Google (NSDQ: GOOG) has been hit with two antitrust inquiries in recent weeks?one looking into its book settlement with publishers and another examining an overlap in membership between its board and Apple's. CEO Eric Schmidt responded at a press conference ahead of the company's annual meeting in Mountain View. (Via several sources.)

?Re FTC probe into whether overlap among the directors of Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) and Google is an antitrust violation (Schmidt is one of two directors on both boards): Schmidt said Thursday he hadn't considered stepping down from Apple's board because he didn't believe the company is a major competitor.

?Re the book probe (libraries are worried that Google could have overwhelming control over access to "orphan books"?titles whose rights-holders have essentially abandoned?because of the terms of its settlement with publishers): Schmidt said the company was doing "something good" since it was making those works available to the public.

So, is there anything Google hasn't done because of all of this government interest in its growing power?

Schmidt said he could not think of any specific examples.

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