EU and US Approve Google-Motorola Deal

angry tapir writes "European regulators have given Google the green light to take over Motorola Mobility. The U.S. $12.5 billion deal faced strong opposition from open source and consumer rights advocates, including Consumer Watchdog, but the European Commission announced on Monday that the acquisition could go ahead, without conditions." Later in the day the DOJ announced an end to its investigation, greenlighting the acquisition in the U.S. as well.

Comments

Let the lawsuits begin!

[kilodelta]

And with Motorola Mobility it seems Google gets a nice little patent war chest. I can't wait until they sue Apple out of existence to be honest.

Re:Let the lawsuits begin!

[Anonymous Coward]

Apple isn't "an electronics maker". They design electronics, buy a lot of Samsung components and have poor Chinese people work 18 hours a day to assemble them.

Re:Let the lawsuits begin!

[Savage-Rabbit]

Apple isn't "an electronics maker". They design electronics, buy a lot of Samsung components and have poor Chinese people work 18 hours a day to assemble them.

Apple and every other company that outsourced it's production and assembly to places where they can get lots of cheap labour and can rely upon the local government to ignore corporate abuses and crack down hard with riot police, teargas, water-cannon and gestapoesque security services every the workers decide they have had enough and stage a protest. No matter how you turn it you are supporting worker abuse somewhere every time you go to the supermarket and buy something. Even if you only buy those "Fair trade" politically correct products, the cargo ship that brought those goods to your country was built by abused shipyard workers who work 16 hour per day 7 days a week to churn out ship hull components under totally miserable conditions and is crewed by Russian and Philippine sailors who don't even enjoy the minimum in safe and proper working conditions and it goes on from there.

Re:Let the lawsuits begin!

[Fluffeh]

This will be very interesting. I see three different players in this standoff:

Apple:

Decent hardware - not totally high end, but certainly enough for what they allow on them.

User-friendly operating system - Most of the "masses" think it is wonderful and easy to use.

Microsoft:

Aging Hardware - I think that while they had great phones ten or fifteen years ago, they haven't been keeping up with the curve save a few notable exceptions. (I could be wrong, feel free to correct me. Wasn't the N900 the last good thing before it was shitcanned?)

Poor? operating system - I don't know many people with a Windows phone, but I haven't heard a single positive review (Not counting net articles, where anyone can find a small army supporting their argument).

Google:

Aging Hardware - Again, I can't really think of the last fantastic Motorola that everyone wanted to rush out and buy.

Fastest Growing (and Most Used now unless I am mistaken?) operating system.

Given that Samsung has pretty much the shiniest hardware in their phones/tablets and they use Android, I can see an interesting bond forming between the two. Game theory would suggest that these two buddy up and have the best hardware AND the best software and try to run the market. I can't really see this going fantastic for MS in this case, seems that both Google and Apple have a good and bad aspect to the business, but MS seems to have two poor ends of the stick - the best of nothing - and I don't think that a Microsoft/Apple alliance is very likely, even with the threat of a Google/Samsung bond.

I actually think there will likely be a lot of courtcase banter going around as they square off and basically touch gloves. Once it is evident who is going to come out on top though, I don't think there will be any really super serious outcome courtcases, I think the only lawyer talk will really be the pre-match quibbling.

Re:Let the lawsuits begin!

[devleopard]

Hilarious that this was marked as flamebait. I honestly think that what you're describing is as bad, if not worse, than "fanboyism". Of course, this is Slashdot, where hate is the word of the day. For years, it was Microsoft. Everyone cheered at the various court decisions: the monopoly ruling, the EU requirements. They were just salivating over the day when Microsoft would be disassembled by the courts and destroyed by Linux's inevitable victory in the desktop space. (LMAO even typing that) None of it ever happened: today Microsoft is daily losing relevance not by some great savior of the open source world, but by entropy: their business model is failing.

Yesterday it was Microsoft. Today it's Apple. Tomorrow it'll be? Someone. Probably Google. (When someone's profit is based on your information, a mantra of "Don't be Evil" directly conflicts with corporate goals.)

Opposition from open source?

[Cstryon]

Correct me I'm wrong, as I'm not in the know, but wouldn't this be a plus for rom development on motorola droid phones?

Re:Opposition from open source?

[c0lo]

Seriously, guys, anyone that can provide some links that shows "strong opposition from open source"?

Re:Opposition from open source?

[stephanruby]

Correct me I'm wrong, as I'm not in the know, but wouldn't this be a plus for rom development on motorola droid phones?

It could.

With HTC officially unlocking its bootloaders and Samsung officially hiring the Cyanogen guy (and then encouraging him to continue doing his custom rom development on the side -- with a healthy salary and no strings attached), custom Android rom development is looking very promising all around.

Re:That's just a fad

[Anonymous Coward]

Just like any other fads, this "Apple frenzy fad" will become stale, people will lose interest in Apple, once a new-kid-in-town with new fangle tricks appears

Where have you been since 1984? Apple users are not customers, they are a fan club.

Re:That's just a fad

[kelemvor4]

Apple has the most brand loyal customers on the planet

It's just a fad

Just like any other fads, this "Apple frenzy fad" will become stale, people will lose interest in Apple, once a new-kid-in-town with new fangle tricks appears

I used to say the same thing. Now I'm starting to think they've secured a niche as a status symbol. Much like Gucci or Prada handbags, many people buy apple because they want other people to see them walking around with that apple product. Have you seen vehicles with a white apple bumper sticker? I think the mere existence of such a thing is proof of this.

Consistent pattern, in fact

[Kupfernigk]

So, bloviating aside, you're saying Slashdot readers tend to oppose monopoly capitalism and support variety and individual rights? And that the European Competition Commission agrees with them?

Incidentally, over the next few years for much of the world outside the USA, the primary means of computing and access to networks will be a very small computer (phone or tablet) running a POSIX-compliant OS. Linux on the desktop is happening; it is just happening on the next evolution of the desktop.