U.S. regulators are near a settlement with Google Inc in a dispute over the search giant’s efforts to stop the sale of products it says infringe essential patents, according to two sources close to the probe.<\/p>\n
But the Federal Trade Commission is not expected to reach a deal soon on the larger, more contentious issue of whether Google tweaks its search results to disadvantage rivals in travel, shopping and other specialized searches.<\/p>\n
Its rivals say Google fears the specialized sites will siphon away its most lucrative advertising and the revenue that goes with it.<\/p>\n
Under the expected settlement, which could be announced this week or next, Google will be required to drop demands for injunctions in lawsuits filed using a special class of patents called standard essential patents, or SEPs, the sources said.<\/p>\n
SEPs ensure, for example, that one brand of wireless phone can call another brand.<\/p>\n
There would be an exception to the injunction ban, however. Google would be allowed to request injunctions if companies refuse to negotiate SEP licensing at all, the sources said.<\/p>\n
SEPs are usually expected to be broadly licensed for a reasonable price. One view is that if a company convinces a standard-setting organization to name its patent as the standard, that company should be barred from asking for an injunction if there is infringement.<\/p>\n
The larger investigation, which is more than a year old, addresses search bias as well as smaller items that aggravate Google’s rivals in Silicon Valley and beyond.<\/p>\n
These include taking data, such as hotel reviews, from non-Google web sites to use on Google products, and preventing the export of data on advertising effectiveness to non-Google software so ad campaigns can be evaluated.<\/p>\n
The European Commission is investigating many of the same allegations.<\/p>\n
Google’s critics, disappointed with the trajectory of the FTC probe, appear prepared to take their grievances to the U.S. Justice Department.<\/p>\n
At least one Google adversary met with Justice Department officials recently, pressing them to investigate if the FTC fails to get a satisfactory settlement on search or litigate against Google, according to sources with knowledge of the situation.<\/p>\n
The Texas attorney general’s office is also leading a probe into Google’s practices.<\/p>\n
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