In June, Google confirmed that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) opened an antitrust investigation against it. While the scope and details of the investigation have not been disclosed, the FTC is likely examining whether and how Google has used its dominance in Internet search and advertising to stifle competition, and whether Google’s actions cause harm to consumers.
Continue Reading The FTC’s Investigation of Google: What To Do When The FTC Sends Your Company An Inquiry
Free CLE Conference: “Advertising Law in the United States and Europe: The Challenges Ahead”
“Advertising Law in the United States and Europe: The Challenges Ahead” is the subject of a CLE Conference organized and sponsored by the University of Limerick Law School and the Franklin Pierce Law School that is being held July 24 and 25 in Limerick, Ireland (Limerick is 20 minutes from Shannon). Douglas J. Wood and
FTC Releases Mobile Marketplace Report
On April 22, the FTC issued a Report concerning consumer protection issues arising in the mobile commerce marketplace, entitled “Beyond Voice: Mapping the Mobile Marketplace.” The Report followed several public meetings involving the FTC since 2000, including those held on May 6-7, 2008 and in November of 2006. In concluding that “the FTC
Google To Launch ‘Interest-Based’ Advertising
Rumor has it that Google will be launching its much-publicized “interest-based advertising” in April, allowing advertisers to serve ads based on a user’s prior interactions (e.g., browsing the advertisers’ websites, tracking interests). Google will track categories of web pages that users visit in Google’s content network and if, for example, a user visits motion picture
Ad Blocking Technology – The Potential Effects & Implications
The use of ad-blocking programs has recently received considerable attention in the media, brought about in large part by the proliferation of various plug-ins or configurational ad-ons that, in one manner or another, enable the blocking of some or all advertising (or content that seems like advertising) by Internet web browsers (e.g., Adblock Plus” plug-in