Google Faces Up To $5 Billion Fine From Competition Commission of India

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Google Faces Up To $5 Billion Fine From Competition Commission of India

Posted by timothy on Sunday March 9, 2014 @05:10AM from the so-I-was-just-counting-your-governments dept.

An anonymous reader writes "Google is facing investigation by the Competition Commission of India and potentially faces fines up to 10% of its three-year average turnover. While Google has settled anti-trust cases in the U.S. and the European Union, India's competition regime does not have provisions for settlement process." From the Times of India article linked: "The complaint against Google, also one of the world's most valued company, was first filed by advocacy group CUTS International way back in late 2011. Later, matrimonial website matrimony.com also filed a complaint. Referring to Google's settlement with the European Commission, matrimony.com counsel Ferida Satarawala said: 'Google's unfair use of trademarks as well as its retaliatory conduct are not specifically addressed in the European settlement and are distinct theories of harm being pursued by the CCI. Therefore, this settlement is unlikely to address CCI's concerns in our case.'"

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Comment removed by account_deleted · 2014-03-09 05:14 · Score: 4, Interesting

Comment removed based on user account deletion
Theft by Anonymous Coward · 2014-03-09 05:20 · Score: 5, Insightful

Seems like theft to me.
Google has lots of money, let's fine Google.
1. Re:Theft by Anonymous Coward · 2014-03-10 00:38 · Score: 1
  
  Seems like theft to me.
  Google has lots of money, let's fine Google.
  You mean, just like all those European banks got fined by the US authorities? Even though most of the violations came from the originally US banks they bought in the past decade, while not a single other US bank got fined for the same violations? Either the European banks miraculously bought up ALL US banks that money launder; or those US branches only start money laundering after being bought by European banks while none of their other countries' branches money launder; or a more reasonable guess?
  Looks like India just learned a lesson from the US government -- foreign companies with lots of money is a good target to levy huge fines.
Seems like by Anonymous Coward · 2014-03-09 05:25 · Score: 1

It seems like yet another shakedown of a big company by the corrupt Indian gov't. Nothing to see here...
1. Re: Seems like by Anonymous Coward · 2014-03-09 06:22 · Score: 0
  
  Just like BP
2. Re:Seems like by Anonymous Coward · 2014-03-09 08:50 · Score: 0
  
  Yeah, ignore the fact they broke the law repeatedly. Big companies can do no wrong.
Is it me or is Anti-Trust a thing you seem to have by Anonymous Coward · 2014-03-09 05:38 · Score: 1

Is it me or is Anti-Trust a thing you seem to have once a company reaches a certain size and age?
Possible political retribution by Anonymous Coward · 2014-03-09 05:40 · Score: 0

India was pissed off that one of their diplomat was mistreated. Possible huge Google campus opening up in India in the future with many local hires.
1. Re:Possible political retribution by Anonymous Coward · 2014-03-09 06:19 · Score: 0
  
  Except this probe has been ongoing for 2 years, predating the recent political dust up by quite a bit. And Google already has campuses in Mumbia, Bangalore, Hyderabad and New Delhi. Well researched theory though...
Do No Evil! by Anonymous Coward · 2014-03-09 05:42 · Score: 0

Let me guess, another Singaporean dodgy "secret" deal to funnel revenue from A to C so it can't be taxed??? Time that sanctions be taken against these American corporations and countries that help them avoid paying tax!
I still can't figure out what they did by Overzeetop · 2014-03-09 05:42 · Score: 4, Interesting

I read the entire fine article, and I'm still at a loss. What was the specific harm which the Indian government is trying to correct?

--
Is it just my observation, or are there way too many stupid people in the world?
1. Re:I still can't figure out what they did by Brett+Buck · 2014-03-09 05:47 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  The harm that Google has $5 billion that they want.
2. Re:I still can't figure out what they did by Anonymous Coward · 2014-03-09 05:59 · Score: 1
  
  I read the entire fine article, and I'm still at a loss. What was the specific harm which the Indian government is trying to correct?
  Including their site in search listings is an unfair use of trademark.
  Upon receipt of complaint, google removed their site from the search listings.
  Naturally that is an unfair retaliatory response.
3. Re:I still can't figure out what they did by JoeyRox · 2014-03-09 06:06 · Score: 0
  
  They failed to pay off the right politicians.
4. Re:I still can't figure out what they did by timothy · 2014-03-09 06:11 · Score: 1
  
  Reminds me of the courtroom scene in Idiocracy ;)
  JUDGE What're you objectifying on?
  Dizz looks unsure for a moment.
  JOE (whispering to Dizz) C'mon, just put me on the stand!
  DIZZ Okay. Yeah. Okay, your honor?.. I object that this guy also broke my apartment!
  JOE What??
  DIZZ Yeah, your honor! And I object he's not gonna have any money to pay me after he pays for all the money he stole from the hospital.
  
  --
  jrnl: http://tinyurl.com/c2l8yr / foes: http://tinyurl.com/ckjno5
5. Re:I still can't figure out what they did by Overzeetop · 2014-03-09 06:31 · Score: 1
  
  That's some pretty weak-sauce argument for all out censure.
  
  --
  Is it just my observation, or are there way too many stupid people in the world?
6. Re:I still can't figure out what they did by Anonymous Coward · 2014-03-09 06:44 · Score: 0
  
  ^ This...
7. Re:I still can't figure out what they did by tomhath · 2014-03-09 06:56 · Score: 5, Interesting
  
  It's not the Indian government. The complaint was filed by an organization called CUTS, whose mission is:
  
  Pursuing economic equity and social justice within and across borders by persuading governments and empowering people
  In other words, their goal is wealth transfer from rich to poor countries. Whether Google did anything wrong isn't the point; they're trying to use the Indian government to get some of Google's money.
8. Re:I still can't figure out what they did by ShieldW0lf · 2014-03-09 07:43 · Score: 2
  
  My first thought is that the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is behind this. Wouldn't be the first time they've corrupted the Indian government. Anyone remember not that long ago when they were going to allow their indigenous pharmaceutical companies to start manufacturing and selling drugs to their massive population for cost, before Bill swept in with funding to pay for drugs for the upper and middle classes in exchange for leaving the law as it was? It was covered here on Slashdot.
  
  --
  -1 Uncomfortable Truth
9. Re:I still can't figure out what they did by MightyMartian · 2014-03-09 07:47 · Score: 1
  
  The harm that a large multinational wasn't paying bribe. Have a heart for corrupt officials. There are so many in India it must be hard to commit a good old fashioned shakedown.
  
  --
  The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
10. Re:I still can't figure out what they did by Brett+Buck · 2014-03-09 08:12 · Score: 1
  
  I think that governments are perfectly capable of becoming corrupted even without Bill's influence.
11. Re:I still can't figure out what they did by Anonymous Coward · 2014-03-09 11:09 · Score: 0
  
  My favorite corruption joke (as told to me by an Indian ex-boss of mine):
  An American, Russian and Indian politician met at a conference and the talk strayed to corruption. The American politician pulls out a picture of a bridge and proudly says, "See this bridge? As a result of building this bridge, the contractor donated 10% of his fee to my campaign fund." Not to be outdone, the Russian politician pulls out a picture of a bridge and says, "That's nothing...50% of the funds for this bridge were used to build my vacation home in the Crimean." The two look at the Indian politician, who then pulls out a picture of a river. The two stare back at him, confused. He then asks them, "See this bridge?" The two say, "Umm...no" to which the Indian politician replies, smiling, "Exactly."
12. Re:I still can't figure out what they did by korgitser · 2014-03-09 11:44 · Score: 1
  
  This mission statement translates into 'take from the rich, give to the poor'. Dunno whether to actually believe them, but the statement is guaranteed at least 50% true :)
  
  --
  FCKGW 09F9 42
13. Re:I still can't figure out what they did by Anonymous Coward · 2014-03-09 18:27 · Score: 1
  
  I read the entire fine article, and I'm still at a loss. What was the specific harm which the Indian government is trying to correct?
  I have been following this case for a while now. It all started in 2009, when the matrimonial website www.bharatmatrimony.com sued Google in the Chennai High Court of India. The basis for complaint was that searches for "bharat matrimony" (two words) in Google resulted in sponsored ads for two competing websites, www.shaadi.com and www.jeevansathi.com. All three are in the same business, of online matchmaking (remember that the Indian society still favours arranged marriages so this line of business is quite lucrative; indeed it is among the handful of e-commerce sectors that are actually making money here). This case meandered through the Indian legal system, and in October 2012 the Indian Supreme Court decided in favour of the petitioner (on appeal, as the High Court had ruled in favour of Google).
  http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-miscellaneous/tp-others/sc-restraint-on-rival-matrimonial-websites/article4018119.ece
  In early 2012, Bharat Matrimony also approached the Competition Commission of India (probably to hedge their risk, after losing the case in the High Court) with the statistic that Google controls 85% of online advertising in India and hence is clearly a monopoly. The CCI is expected to rule on this complaint now and hence the renewed press interest.
  Google's position (in India) has been that if you have certain trademarks that you want to keep away from Adwords keywords, then you need to register them and let Google know. But the words "Bharat" and "Matrimony" are not trademark-able in India, both being generic in nature (Bharat is the constitutional name of India, and Matrimony is present in every dictionary of the English language published in the last 300 years possibly). Bharat Matrimony is dealing with their trademark issues in a parallel battle.
  So no, it is not a simple case of bribery, oneupmanship or anything else.
14. Re:I still can't figure out what they did by ShieldW0lf · 2014-03-10 06:27 · Score: 1
  
  I think that governments are perfectly capable of becoming corrupted even without Bill's influence.
  You're right, of course.
  Perhaps it was Duck Duck Go who were hoping to fill the void...
  
  --
  -1 Uncomfortable Truth
Indian Hypocrisy by Anonymous Coward · 2014-03-09 05:43 · Score: 0

The Indian government thumbs its nose at US drug companies by copying their products, producing generics and paying them nothing and they have the gall to sanction a prosecution of Google for being anti-competitive? We Americans should make it clear that any fines paid by Google will be taken from the American operations of Wipro and Infosys and reimbursed to Google. The Indian outsourcing firms are usurpers of good software jobs here in America and lobby our government against the interests of American workers, so anything that harms relations between the United States and India or gives Indian firms a black eye is fine by me. I was rather hoping for a more serious blow up over that Indian diplomat here in the United States, possibly leading to some trade restrictions, but alas it was not to be.
1. Re:Indian Hypocrisy by Anonymous Coward · 2014-03-09 06:57 · Score: 0
  
  We Americans should make it clear that any fines paid by Google will be taken from the American operations of Wipro and Infosys and reimbursed to Google.
  You go right ahead... and then you'll discover that US firms operating in India have a LOT more money and assets to raid than Indian firms operating in the US.
  Or hadn't you thought that one through yet?
  It's simple: if you want to operate in India, you must follow Indian law. If you are not willing to do that, your company will be fined, just as it did in Europe.
2. Re:Indian Hypocrisy by mmell · 2014-03-09 07:50 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  Just to get the cart back behind the horse - let's see if the Indian judicial system can work this out correctly. There seems to be an assumption here that India's judicial system is little better than a star-chamber mechanism dispensing kangaroo-court justice. While I'll admit there may be strong political and financial incentives for an Indian court to arbitrarily find Google liable, there's no reason to believe that the Indian courts will fail to correctly perform their function of interpreting and adjudicating Indian law.
3. Re:Indian Hypocrisy by the+eric+conspiracy · 2014-03-09 07:52 · Score: 1
  
  And these companies provide good jobs to Indian citizens. However once you start fining them the cost advantage of operating in India evaporates.
  Google is generally considered to be the most desirable employer in India.
4. Re:Indian Hypocrisy by mmell · 2014-03-09 07:52 · Score: 1
  
  Uh, two wrongs don't make a right. Three lefts do.
5. Re:Indian Hypocrisy by superwiz · 2014-03-09 08:25 · Score: 2
  
  It's simple: if you want to operate in India, you must follow Indian law. If you are not willing to do that, your company will be fined, just as it did in Europe.
  Sure..if we are talking about laws regarding your operations in India. Any attempt to impose extra-territorial legal restrictions is always very questionable. Generally, there has to be a compelling humanitarian reason for legislating extra-territorial behavior (like outlawing human trafficking or sex tourism to countries with under-age prostitution) or an attempt to stop international criminal behavior (like drug-trafficking or maybe... maybe tax dodging). Improper application of IP laws (like patent laws)? If that were ok, then, as a poster above mentioned, US would go after bank accounts of any company producing generic versions of US drugs before they became off-patent in the US. Unless, of course, they want to claim that this is 10% of Google's operations in India, but I doubt Google does $50 billion worth of business in India.
  
  --
  Any guest worker system is indistinguishable from indentured servitude.
6. Re:Indian Hypocrisy by Anonymous Coward · 2014-03-09 08:42 · Score: 0
  
  > there's no reason to believe that the Indian courts will fail to correctly perform their function of interpreting and adjudicating Indian law
  There is every reason to believe this.
  Even where strong checks and balances exist in theory, judicial oversight is relatively weak in virtually all countries, and there is a pattern of conservative-partisan verdicts that reflect a world-view of keeping entrenched interests happy. Which interests are entrenched in a particular legal system is the main variable.
7. Re:Indian Hypocrisy by kumanopuusan · 2014-03-09 10:11 · Score: 1
  
  There's no reason to believe that if you haven't paid attention to their previous bullshit.
  
  --
  Use of the words "good", "bad" or "evil" is almost invariably the result of oversimplification.
8. Re:Indian Hypocrisy by Impy+the+Impiuos+Imp · 2014-03-09 10:21 · Score: 1
  
  Of course, the cynical, which is to say, vastly overwhelming historical norm, there and in Europe, wherein regulation is meme pap to get useful idiots on your side while the real reason is to get kickbacks for the politicians, continues apace.
  Keep arguing in the memespace; it's working as intended.
  
  --
  (-1: Post disagrees with my already-settled worldview) is not a valid mod option.
Re: Is it me or is Anti-Trust a thing you seem to by Anonymous Coward · 2014-03-09 05:46 · Score: 0

It's a law of nature. When a corporation gets large enough, the anti-trust profiteers will rise to the top of the decision ladder because they create more profit than honest for-the-customer oriented people. At least in the short term, those same profiteers will eventually run the company into a ditch, seeking additional easy profits... Google has been making a lot of greedy stupid decisions lately, so...
TPP by jeff13 · 2014-03-09 05:50 · Score: 0

Don't worry, all that copyright, trademark,etc. stuff that is such an international headache will be solved with the TPP. Corporations have already sent their bag-men to secure the deal. Men like, oh what's his name, Barry Obama er something.
Re:Babies need new shoes by invictusvoyd · 2014-03-09 05:59 · Score: 0

Sense of humor and other grey matter related things sold .
2 BTC
hfkronng6573nednfne838834ndnf
no Indian interests by Anonymous Coward · 2014-03-09 06:11 · Score: 1

This looks like a case of shopping for a favorable legal venue to me:

The US FTC, along with major competition regulators across the globe, has been investigating a case of abuse of dominance against Google, which shows that Google "search results" give priority to Google sponsored pages or links. For example, if a Google search is done for Bill Gates, the first few results would show theGoogle Plus pages of Bill Gates rather than LinkedIn or Facebook pages of Gates. Facebook and Google Plus are rivals in the social networking space.
http://www.cuts-ccier.org/Media_CCI_search_against_Google_US_Federal_Trade_Commission_supplies_new_inputs.htm
It is difficult to see what specifically Indian interests are at stake here.
Such cases should be resolved through civil litigation, not anti-trust litigation halfway around the world.
Whether the Indian act provides for settlement or not is not relevant; the commission can negotiate with Google before deciding what penalties to impose. Seems to me Google always has the option of stopping to do business in India while still serving up search results for free.
1. Re:no Indian interests by the+eric+conspiracy · 2014-03-09 07:44 · Score: 1
  
  > It is difficult to see what specifically Indian interests are at stake here.
  It's the Willie Sutton effect.
2. Re:no Indian interests by mmell · 2014-03-09 08:45 · Score: 1
  
  The Indian interest of making a few billion dollars.
  Y'know, next they'll be suing the "Big Three" US auto manufacturers for unfairly competing against the Tata, claiming that they incorporate all sorts of desirable stuff that Tata can't afford to put in their cheap little piss-pot cars and that they're being unfairly competitive in the world market by not letting Tata compete in the luxury car area. Sounds anti-competitive to me.
Google should .... by Anonymous Coward · 2014-03-09 06:20 · Score: 0

Google should block all their services from Indian IP addresses,
I wonder how long it would take for India to back down?
1. Re:Google should .... by superwiz · 2014-03-09 08:41 · Score: 1
  
  What if India was simply paid off by Bing to accomplish just such a goal? Simply running away is not an option if you conduct a business in which there are competitors. If you base a society on such principles, you end up with a society in which there is no rule of law -- whoever pays the highest bribe wins. You can argue that we are already there, and to some degree, you'd be right. But these are matters of degree and if Bing were to in India in such a way, that would be another step in the direction of lawlessness.
  
  --
  Any guest worker system is indistinguishable from indentured servitude.
Pull out by nurb432 · 2014-03-09 06:26 · Score: 1, Interesting

Google can just pull out, refuse any ads from any company based in India. Its time for Google to start using the power they have.
Lets see how long it takes for the Indiana government's mind to change.

--
---- Booth was a patriot ----
1. Re:Pull out by Anonymous Coward · 2014-03-09 07:00 · Score: 2, Funny
  
  Lets see how long it takes for the Indiana government's mind to change.
  Totally man. Screw those Hoosiers!
2. Re:Pull out by Anonymous Coward · 2014-03-09 07:08 · Score: 0
  
  Not pull out. Google should increase the price of those ads to cover this kind of harassment. Justified if its a cost of doing business.
3. Re:Pull out by Overzeetop · 2014-03-09 07:14 · Score: 2
  
  Isn't this what got them in trouble - removing Indian companies who notified Google that they were violating their IP?
  They could switch to opt-in only via robots, and just put a notice in the search indicating that the company has not authorized them to display particular search results, but apparently that's not good enough either : http://news.slashdot.org/story...
  
  --
  Is it just my observation, or are there way too many stupid people in the world?
4. Re:Pull out by Anonymous Coward · 2014-03-09 07:15 · Score: 0
  
  They'd shut down access to all the cheap, incompetent IT help that BigBoxCo's worldwide need to keep their place at the top of the excrement heap.
5. Re:Pull out by phantomfive · 2014-03-09 08:03 · Score: 1
  
  Lets see how long it takes for the Indiana government's mind to change.
  Best sentence of the day!
  
  --
  "First they came for the slanderers and i said nothing."
6. Re:Pull out by Rich0 · 2014-03-09 10:27 · Score: 1
  
  Somehow I doubt that Google is going to recoup $5B on ads run by businesses in India anytime soon.
7. Re:Pull out by Anonymous Coward · 2014-03-09 11:50 · Score: 0
  
  Google just won't pay them.
  They'll close shop in India, put up firewall blocks around their borders and disallow anything from or to india to run from Google's networks.
  Then they'll thumb their noses at India and tell them to fuck off, it's what I would do.
  Once their people no longer have access to Google, their technical proficiency ratings will fall through the floor since 98% of their tech answers come from Google searches.
  Their one export industry, dirt-cheap-techno-incompetents will dry up and India will be left with billions of unemployed, under-educated retards to feed with no income to pay for it.
8. Re:Pull out by Rich0 · 2014-03-09 12:21 · Score: 1
  
  They'll close shop in India, put up firewall blocks around their borders and disallow anything from or to india to run from Google's networks.
  Agree on all but this bit. They'll certainly pull out, but I doubt they'll block Indians from accessing their services. They'll probably even sell ads targeted at them, though they probably won't collect those funds from Indian businesses.
  Maybe the Indian government will firewall them. There is no reason for Google to do it. They can just ignore any fines India levies, and there really is nothing India will be able to do to collect on them.
9. Re:Pull out by nurb432 · 2014-03-10 12:35 · Score: 1
  
  Ok ok ok.. spell check sucks...
  
  --
  ---- Booth was a patriot ----
10. Re:Pull out by hobarrera · 2014-03-11 00:25 · Score: 1
  
  If google pulled out of india, people would just use something else, and google would permanently loose that market, it's as simple as that.
What if they just.. don't pay? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-03-09 06:26 · Score: 0

I've wondered this for a while. What happens to an international company that sells all of its products in a virtual environment, if they choose to just ignore a fine? What recourse does India have to force a negative effect on google? Wouldn't they still just receive the same ad views, get the same searches? Could India just block them out?
1. Re: What if they just.. don't pay? by mmell · 2014-03-09 07:43 · Score: 1
  
  (OPINION ONLY)
  I wish that were the case. More likely that India would seek to get the US government to make more H1-b visas available. It's one of the charming things about the Indian government. They do things that benefit their constituent population. Sound familiar?
  India would demand that the United States honor international law and force Google to forfeit the demanded resources to satisfy their debt. Whether the United States government would choose to comply is another question, one which would almost certainly be decided by a US court.
  By this point, India's legal system would almost certainly have frozen or seized any Google assets located in India; and since Google's trademark and technologies would be among the resources seized . . . there is a tremendous opportunity here to fracture and shatter the internet, once and for all. The (re)Balkanization of the web would almost certainly follow, if this course of events proceeds in the way I've described here.
  To close, the course of events I've described can only result from what I consider to be an extremely unlikely act on Google's part - attempting to correct a legal/political situation via technological means (withdrawl of technical services to al Indian-based entities? Think about it). I find it more likely that Google will contest this in an Indian court, with what I consider to be a good chance of prevailing. Even if they lose, Google is not going to go the "cut off my nose to spite my face" route, they're going to comply (after exhausting all other lawful options) and try to find a way to recoup their losses within the laws of the countries they're doing business in.
2. Re: What if they just.. don't pay? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-03-09 11:55 · Score: 0
  
  Just make certain that any H1-B visa applicant can pass a technical proficiency test in a closed room with no electronics except for the testing terminal, without access to Google answers.
  98.9995% of them wouldn't be able to answer 1 question, let alone 10.
Re:Is it me or is Anti-Trust a thing you seem to h by nurb432 · 2014-03-09 06:28 · Score: 1

In general that is true. Sometimes its legit, but often times its not and just a tactic to squeeze the companies. Rarely does a true monopoly that is abusing its power get nailed. They have the money and influence to prevent that.

--
---- Booth was a patriot ----
Re:yeah right by davester666 · 2014-03-09 07:08 · Score: 5, Informative

"India's competition regime does not have provisions for settlement process"
more like
"India's competition regime does not have provisions for settlement process written into the law"
There does seem to be a private method for making agreements between companies and gov't officials that is the accepted practice in India.

--
Sleep your way to a whiter smile...date a dentist!
If it isn't Indiatimes.com by conscarcdr · 2014-03-09 07:18 · Score: 2

One of the worst spamming sites there is. I've received their junk "newsletters" despite never visited it before.
Everybody's missing the big picture here. by mmell · 2014-03-09 07:19 · Score: 1

Look at a world geopolitical map weighted by population.
Now couple what you've just seen with the idea that governments worldwide actively consider taking money from businesses operated in other countries to be even better than taxing successful businesses in their own country.
Throw in one last thought - the Indian government is answerable to the Indian people. Do you really think they'll be pissed off to hear that they've successfully strongarmed billions out of some foreign entity?
1. Re:Everybody's missing the big picture here. by mmell · 2014-03-09 07:27 · Score: 1
  
  On the other hand - maybe something like the slashdot effect could happen.
  http://www.cuts-ccier.org/
Money grab by Anonymous Coward · 2014-03-09 07:42 · Score: 0

1. Create a list of the richest companies that are based outside of your third world regime
2. Create a fictitious government entity called the "Competition Commission" to create fines, levees and tariffs for said businesses
3. Profit!?!?!
Have you seen that new show on TV? by mmell · 2014-03-09 07:46 · Score: 1

Blacklist, I think it's called?
Can't earn the money? Steal it. by Anonymous Coward · 2014-03-09 07:48 · Score: 0

Greedy countries that steal from Google.
Re:Babies need new shoes by Arker · 2014-03-09 09:04 · Score: 0

"Vishnu, or Xenu. I get those two confused." Vixenu. Pronounced Vich-eh-noo.

--
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Friends don't let friends enable ecmascript.
any number pulled out of your ass porn by epine · 2014-03-09 09:32 · Score: 1

Humanity faces a five hundred million billon trillion dollar loss of income due to premature extinction of the species.
From CUTS International website by Pop69 · 2014-03-09 10:15 · Score: 1

"The US FTC has told the Indian competition watchdog that Google is using its superior technology to push out competitors from the GPS tracking market."

So it's superior technology that is the problem ?

Aren't you supposed to develop technology to compete or has that idea gone in favour of suing the people you can't beat ?
1. Re:From CUTS International website by mmell · 2014-03-09 10:29 · Score: 1
  
  If you can't beat 'em, sue 'em.
India is too expensive now anyway by Anonymous Coward · 2014-03-09 10:29 · Score: 0

For once, I'd actually like to see a company call a country's bluff.
I'd love to see Google redirect all traffic from India to a page that says, "Not available in your country."
Then, they just tell the country to F-off, and never go there.
Took the words right out of mouth by Simonetta · 2014-03-09 11:28 · Score: 1

I was going to write exactly the same thing as the comment above.
A bunch of pissants in a country like India that think that they can shake down Google for f-ing $5 BILLION dollars are living in the the 20th century when power was defined by being a country with a flag, a UN seat, an airline, and a president-for-life.
Things are different now.
Especially for a country like India, which is run by corrupt IIT graduates who live on delusions of being a super-power with a moon base and don't have a clue about how to deal with having 500 million people living in abject poverty around them.
1. Re:Took the words right out of mouth by Anonymous Coward · 2014-03-09 16:27 · Score: 0
  
  Google can solve the issue by relocating to India. Most of the folks at Google in Mountain View are Indian anyway. A local company would have more influence with the CCI.
2. Re:Took the words right out of mouth by Anonymous Coward · 2014-03-10 04:29 · Score: 0
  
  "Most of the folks at Google in Mountain View are Indian anyway. "
  No, youre confusing Google with Cisco, just a bit south in Milpitas - just east of Bollyvale, er, Sunnyvale.
Re:yeah right by Anonymous Coward · 2014-03-09 11:44 · Score: 1

Just turn off Google in India, then when the people complain about it being missing, Google can say "If we turn it on, no lawsuits, no penalties of any kind."
Honestly though, why doesn't the Indian government go after these obvious wallet chasers - all they want is to steal money from Google since they couldn't earn it for themselves.
They don't deserve to get a penny, and really should do time for the attempted robbery.
Re:you obviously by Bengie · 2014-03-09 11:47 · Score: 2

Google is less than 50% of all searches and the ONLY search company that spends its own dime to fight NSA requests. But I can tell that you're trolling, which means you have a very good chance of a mental disorder, so I can't hold that against you.
Re:yeah right by Anonymous Coward · 2014-03-09 12:16 · Score: 0

I believe what you are talking about is called a bribe in the rest of the world. That is not allowed in India. The government officials would actually have to work if it were.
CUTS: A Micro$lop agenda by Anonymous Coward · 2014-03-09 12:17 · Score: 0

Obviously a Redmond agenda: "Lets' screw Google".
If Indian needs to rectify an imbalance, then bill Gates and Ballmer for the garbage they push.
What tune does this remind me of? by paiute · 2014-03-09 13:40 · Score: 1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...

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If Slashdot were chemistry it would look like this:Cadaverine
Re:yeah right by BosstonesOwn · 2014-03-09 14:38 · Score: 2

Haven't gotten any of the scam calls that are from indian call centers requesting you install remote sessions for them to "assess your virus infections" yet have you ? These for some reason are still allowed to run there from the same scum trying to get cash out of google there.

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This package Does Not Contain a Winner
Countries that extort companies by gelfling · 2014-03-09 23:52 · Score: 1

Should have to experience a 10 year embargo of those services. Same with countries that threaten companies that for instance make patented drugs. Ok you want to kill the golden goose you go right ahead. Live w.o. Google or cancer drugs for 10 years. France tries this shit all the time but at least they admit it's a mugging.
Assume the position by aurizon · 2014-03-10 04:26 · Score: 1

The one I mean is the "fucking off position"
now - GO
International Shakedown by pebear · 2014-03-10 06:25 · Score: 1

Ya gotta love all these fucking countries all over the world shaking down American tech companies. All these people should go back to fucking goats for a living and leave the smart stuff up to the smart people...

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Paul E. Bahre
Yep.... I really wish we could effectively filter by Anonymous Coward · 2014-03-10 20:49 · Score: 0

Sites like this and ibtimes etc are junk - contentless ad-farms
Sam by Anonymous Coward · 2014-03-11 00:52 · Score: 0

$50 Billion in 3 years.. Sounds ok to me..
India's pathetic attempt to make money by Anonymous Coward · 2014-03-11 04:33 · Score: 0

India's pathetic attempt to make money... Google should just leave India and ban Indian users. Government will then have to pay Google to stay!
lol!! by Anonymous Coward · 2014-03-12 05:27 · Score: 0

funny!!