Andrew Orlowski

Collected Journalism

Tag: antitrust

  • Google’s vanity OS is Microsoft’s dream

    by

    Andrew Orlowski

    –

    No one will be happier than Microsoft about Google’s vanity venture to market computers with a Google-brand OS. It gives us the illusion of competition without seriously troubling either business, although both will obligingly huff and puff about how serious they are about this new, phoney OS war. Since both of these giants are permanently in trouble with antitrust regulators – they’re at different stages of IBM-style thirty years legal epics – that’s just the ticket for them both.

    Google’s … Read More

    Continue reading »

  • MySpace Music hears the antitrust song

    by

    Andrew Orlowski

    –

    News Corporation and the major record labels are facing antitrust questions about the blockbuster MySpace Music venture – even before the site has launched.

    MySpace Music is billed as the biggest music retail launch of the year. It’s a one-stop shop backed by the cross-media muscle of Rupert Murdoch’s media empire, with the three biggest record labels. The site promises to offer everything from downloads to ringtones to concert tickets, backed by the “street” cred of the MySpace brand, and … Read More

    Continue reading »

  • Google and the Mother of All Antitrust Battles

    by

    Andrew Orlowski

    –

    Google dazzles the political class

    The US Senate today embarks on what could become years of antitrust investigations into Google by the IT, telecoms and media industries.

    The hearing today is just that – a piece of political showboating ordered by antitrust subcommittee chairman Herb Kohl. It’s not a formal investigation, let alone a lawsuit. Yet with the destiny of much more than today’s precious “Web 2.0 economy” now in one company’s hands – 90 per cent of paid search advertising goes through Google – … Read More

    Continue reading »

  • Google – cult or corporation?

    by

    Andrew Orlowski

    –

  • ,

    Anti-trust looms over major labels legal blitz

    by

    Andrew Orlowski

    –

    Serial entrepreneur Michael Robertson is embroiled in a legal fight against the recording business – and not for the first time. His MP3Tunes locker service has raised the ire of EMI in a case that continues this week. But isn’t it weird, he asks, how the Big Four divvy up the litigation against music start-ups between them so neatly?… Read More

    Continue reading »

  • Major labels ‘face DoJ antitrust probe’

    by

    Andrew Orlowski

    –

    Two major labels have been served notice of a fresh antitrust investigation, a music business newsletter reports today. MusicAlly’s daily Bulletin suggests that the as-yet-unlaunched TotalMusic service, currently backed by Universal and Somy BMG, has prompted notices from the US Department of Justice. The report suggests all four major labels have been contacted.… Read More

    Continue reading »