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☆ Google hit with $2.3 billion lawsuit by Axel Springer, other media groups
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-28 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The Google corporate logo hangs outside the Google Germany offices on August 31, 2021 in Berlin, Germany. Alphabet 's Google was hit with a 2.1-billion-euro ($2.3 billion) lawsuit by 32 media groups including Axel Springer and Schibsted on Wednesday, alleging that they had suffered losses due to the company's practices in digital advertising. "Without Google's abuse of its dominant position, the media companies would have received significantly higher revenues from advertising and paid lower fees for ad tech services. Crucially, these funds could have been reinvested into strengthening the European media landscape," the lawyers said. Others in the group include Austria's Krone, Belgian groups DPG Media and Mediahuis, Denmark's TV2 Danmark A/S, Finland's Sanoma, Poland's Agora, Spain's Prensa Iberica and Switzerland's Ringier.

Persons: Axel Springer, Schibsted, Stek, Big, Austria's, Finland's Organizations: Google, Geradin Partners, Publishers, DPG Media, Denmark's TV2, Spain's Prensa Locations: Berlin, Germany, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Hungary, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Europe, Austria's Krone

Microsoft logo is seen on a smartphone placed on displayed Activision Blizzard's games characters in this illustration taken January 18, 2022. The carve-out is designed to not upset a deal with Brussels for Microsoft to license content to rival cloud services. The CMA's block in April drew fury from the merging parties, with Microsoft saying that Britain was closed for business. It said on Tuesday that it had not felt any political pressure over its handling of the deal. The CMA will also avoid having to defend its original block in court, and Microsoft finally looks set to secure its deal.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Ronan Scanlan, Arthur Cox, Gustaf Duhs, Scanlan, Antony O'Loughlin, Setfords, Tom Smith, there's, Smith, Kate Holton, Paul Sandle, Martin Coulter, Matthew Lewis Organizations: Microsoft, Activision, REUTERS, Markets Authority, U.S, Ubisoft Entertainment, European Union, U.S ., CMA, Reuters, Stevens & Bolton, Ubisoft, European, Geradin Partners, Big Tech, Thomson Locations: Britain, U.S, Brussels, Dublin, United States, European Union, China, London

☆ 'The CMA has taken a very aggressive stance' towards big tech deals since Brexit, says former UK CMA legal director
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via Email'The CMA has taken a very aggressive stance' towards big tech deals since Brexit, says former UK CMA legal directorTom Smith, partner at Geradin Partners and former legal director of the U.K.'s Competition and Markets Authority, discusses the CMA decision on the Microsoft-Activision deal.

Persons: Tom Smith Organizations: CMA, Geradin Partners, Markets Authority, Microsoft, Activision

Microsoft announced the biggest gaming deal in history in early 2022, but the acquisition was blocked by Britain's competition regulator, which was concerned the U.S. computing giant would gain too much control of the nascent cloud gaming market. Under the restructured deal, Microsoft will not be able to release Activision games like "Overwatch" and "Diablo" exclusively on its own cloud streaming service — Xbox Cloud Gaming – or to exclusively control the licensing terms for rival services. Instead, French gaming rival Ubisoft will acquire the cloud streaming rights for Activision's existing PC and console games, and any new games released by Activision in the next 15 years. A view shows a Microsoft logo at Microsoft offices in Issy-les-Moulineaux near Paris, France, January 25, 2023. Microsoft said Ubisoft would acquire the rights through a one-off payment and a market-based wholesale pricing mechanism, including an option that supports pricing based on usage.

Persons: Tom Smith, there's, Gonzalo Fuentes, Alex Haffner, Fladgate, Sarah Cardell, Yadarisa, Kate Holton, Foo Yun Chee, Barbara Lewis, Sharon Singleton, Mark Potter Organizations: CMA, Microsoft, Activision, Ubisoft Deal, Ubisoft Entertainment, Ubisoft, Markets Authority, European Commission, Geradin Partners, Big Tech, Reuters, REUTERS, European Union . Competition, Federal Trade Commission, European, European Union, Sony, U.S, Thomson Locations: New York, Paris, U.S, Europe, Brussels, EU, Issy, France, British, United States, Bengaluru, London

☆ Apple faces $1 billion UK lawsuit by app developers over App Store fees
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

More than 1,500 app developers in the United Kingdom brought a £785 million ($1 billion) class action lawsuit against Apple Tuesday over its App Store fees. Revenues at Apple (AAPL)’s services business, which includes the App Store, have grown rapidly in the last few years and now hover around $20 billion per quarter. However, the commissions of 15% to 30% that the company charges some app makers for using an in-app payment system have been criticized by app developers and targeted by antitrust regulators in several countries. Apple has previously said that 85% of developers on the App Store do not pay any commission and that it helps European developers access markets and customers in 175 countries around the world through the App Store. They harm app developers and also app buyers.”

Persons: Sean Ennis, “, ” Ennis, ” Organizations: Apple Tuesday, Apple, Competition, Centre for, University of East, Organisation for Economic Co, Geradin Partners Locations: United Kingdom, University of East Anglia

☆ Apple faces $1 bln UK lawsuit by apps developers over app store fees
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-24 | by ( Foo Yun Chee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BRUSSELS, July 25 (Reuters) - Apple (AAPL.O) on Tuesday found itself the target of a 785-million-pound ($1 billion) class action lawsuit brought by more than 1,500 apps developers in the UK over its App Store fees. Apple's services business, which includes the App Store, has seen revenues grow at a rapid pace in the last few years and now hovers around $20 billion per quarter. Apple has previously said that 85% of developers on the App Store do not pay any commission and that it helps European developers to access markets and customers in 175 countries around the world through the App Store. "Apple's charges to app developers are excessive, and only possible due to its monopoly on the distribution of apps onto iPhones and iPads," Ennis said in a statement. They harm app developers and also app buyers."

Persons: Sean Ennis, Ennis, Foo Yun Chee, Aurora Ellis Organizations: Apple, Competition, Centre for, University of East, OECD, Geradin Partners, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS, University of East Anglia

☆ Analysis: Microsoft tests the limits of Britain's antitrust authority
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Paul Sandle | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

The European Union approved the deal in May, when it accepted commitments to license games to rival platforms. At the same time, Microsoft offered a "detailed and complex" new proposal to the CMA, prompting the regulator to take the unprecedented step of reopening talks. The CMA said it was awaiting further Microsoft submissions on what had changed and how it would restructure the transaction. "We will then consider whether the proposals create a new merger situation and address the CMA's competition concerns," a spokesperson said on Tuesday. CLOSED FOR BUSINESSAfter the CMA block, Microsoft thundered that Britain was closed for business; exactly what the government did not want to hear as it tries to reignite the economy after the uncertainty sparked by Brexit.

Persons: we've, Becket McGrath, they're, Brexit, Tom Smith, Brad Smith, Jeremy Hunt, Meta, Smith, Marcus Smith, Gareth Mills, Charles Russell Speechlys, Sam Tobin, James Davey, Kate Holton, Sharon Singleton Organizations: CMA, Microsoft, U.S, Activision Blizzard, Markets Authority, Xbox, FTC, Reuters, European Union, Activision, CAT, Euclid Law, Geradin Partners, Brexit, Britain's, Facebook, Meta, Markets Unit, Thomson Locations: U.S, Barcelona, Brexit, London, Brussels, British, United States, Britain

☆ Google faces claim from UK publishers over online advertising
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Google was sued on Wednesday by a group of British website publishers who allege the U.S. company and its parent Alphabet abused their dominant position in online advertising, depriving them of revenue. The class action claim was filed at the Competition Appeal tribunal on behalf of 130,000 businesses publishing around 1.75 million website and apps in Britain, law firms Humphries Kerstetter and Geradin Partners said in a statement. Toby Starr, a partner at Humphries Kerstetter which is leading the claim, said multiple investigations into Google's advertising practices were under way. "However, none of these regulatory actions will do anything to compensate the UK publishers of thousands of websites and mobile apps who have lost billions in advertising revenue because of Google's actions," he said. The action is in parallel with an EU claim that is expected to be filed in the Netherlands next year, the law firms said.

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