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EU regulators are looking into competition concerns surrounding a joint venture in mobile payments by Everything Everywhere, Vodafone and O2.

The UK's biggest cellular operators said in June that they were creating a clearing house for mobile payments, which would act as an intermediary between advertisers, banks and retailers. However, Three complained to the European Commission that it had been shut out of the deal.

Although the commission did not cite Three's complaint, it did say in its announcement of the investigation late on Friday that there are "potential competition concerns in the nascent markets of mobile … Read more

Online travel site TripAdvisor has become the latest company to take aim at Google.

The company today filed an antitrust complaint against Google in the European Union, charging the search company with "anti-competitive and unfair practices...that harm the marketplace and consumer welfare." Bloomberg was first to report on the story.

TripAdvisor's move follows a similar one by online travel site Expedia, which filed a complaint against Google last week. Both companies argue that Google is using its dominant position in search to harm competition in the marketplace. They've joined a slew of companies across other … Read more

Motorola Mobility may find itself the target of an EU investigation over complaints about its patent licensing.

In a recent Washington, D.C., speech, EU Competition Commissioner Joaquin Almunia specifically cited patent concerns over Motorola, lumping it in the same regulatory hot seat as Samsung.

"We have recently opened an investigation against Samsung to make sure that the company has not failed to honor the commitments it had taken back in 1998 to make its standard-essential patents for mobile phones available in fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory terms," Almunia said in the speech. "We have also received similar … Read more

The European Union is not too pleased with e-book publishers, but that doesn't mean it won't settle with them.

Speaking to reporters today, European Union Competition Commissioner Joaquin Almunia said that his organization would settle with e-book publishers as long as they "remove all of our objections." Reuters was first to report on the news.

Almunia reportedly didn't tell the journalists about the nature of the objections, but confirmed that deals could be struck with e-book publishers Pearson, Penguin, and Simon & Schuster (which is owned by CBS, CNET's parent company), among others.

The … Read more

Today is the big day. But not everyone is too excited about it.

Google has officially implemented its new, combined privacy policy. On the company's Privacy Policy page, Google describes everything from how it collects information across its many sites to what it does with all that information.

After announcing plans in January to implement a combined privacy policy that covers all of its many services, the search company said that it would make for a "beautifully simple, intuitive user experience."

"The main change is for users with Google Accounts. Our new Privacy Policy makes clear … Read more

There seems to be a difference of opinion over whether Microsoft recently complained to European Union regulators about Google+.

Reuters is reporting, citing two sources, that Microsoft informally complained to the European Union's European Commission about Google's social network. The sources wouldn't divulge what Microsoft said nor whether the company will file a formal complaint with the commission. Microsoft was reportedly flanked by "several" other companies that have taken issue with Google+.

However, in a statement to CNET sister site ZDNet, Microsoft said that it did not, in fact, file a complaint with the European Commission against Google+. … Read more

Microsoft is the latest tech giant to take aim at Motorola Mobility--and thus, by virtue of its $12.5 billion acquisition, Google--in a FRAND (fair, reasonable, and nondiscriminatory) patent abuse claim.

The software giant today filed a formal competition law complaint with the European Commission against Motorola, arguing that the company is not offering essential patents on fair and reasonable terms. The complaint involves patents Motorola holds related to Web video and the way in which certain devices, like Windows PCs and the Xbox, access and play it.

"In legal proceedings on both sides of the Atlantic, Motorola is … Read more

European mobile customers hoping to get 4G LTE are one step closer to getting their wish.

The European Parliament yesterday announced that member countries will be forced to authorize the 800MHz spectrum to be used for 4G LTE by January 1. The countries will have room for 4G on that spectrum, thanks to a continent-wide changeover from analog television services to digital by the end of this year.

"We have ensured that sufficient amounts of spectrum both for coverage and capacity are made accessible in the EU to achieve the fastest mobile broadband worldwide," Swedish Christian Democrat Gunnar … Read more

That could coincide with the timing of U.S. regulators okaying the deal. On Wednesday, the Wall Street Journal reported that the Justice Department would likely approve the $12.5 billion acquisition next week.

The Reuter's article, citing "two people with knowledge of the matter," reported that the European Union's approval would be "unconditional." Rivals had been pushing for restrictions to prevent Google from unfairly promoting its products.

Last month, European regulators set next Monday as the date that it would decide … Read more