EU Considering Whether To Investigate Complaints Against Motorola
30 Marzo 2012 - 9:29PM
Dow Jones News
The European Commission is considering whether to formally
investigate complaints brought by Apple Inc. (AAPL) and Microsoft
Corp. (MSFT) against Motorola about the use of key patents, the
European Union's competition chief said Friday.
"I am considering whether we need to investigate these
complaints formally to help bring more clarity into this area of
competition control," Joaquin Almunia said in a speech in
Washington, D.C.
Earlier this year, the commission, the EU's antitrust body,
received two complaints against Motorola Mobility Inc. (MMI) over
the use of patents.
Microsoft Corp. filed a competition complaint against Motorola
and its soon-to-be owner Google Inc. (GOOG) in connection with
Motorola's handling of patents it holds that form part of
industry-wide standards for Internet connectivity.
Apple has also recently filed a suit in California aimed at
warding off any injunctions from Motorola Mobility on one of
Apple's iPhones and last month made a similar complaint to the
commission.
Almunia has been using strong language against telecom companies
that abuse their market leadership by using so-called
standard-essential patents to reduce competition, and he reiterated
his point Friday.
"The holders of standard-essential patents have considerable
market power. This market power can be used to harm competition; in
some cases, the holders of standard-essential patents can
effectively hold up the entire industry with the threat of banning
the products of competitors from the market," Almunia said. "This
is unacceptable, and I am determined to use antitrust enforcement
to prevent such hold-up by patent holders."
-By Alessandro Torello, Dow Jones Newswires; +32 2 741 14 88;
alessandro.torello@dowjones.com
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