FTC Says Google And Apple Have Some Splainin To Do

Tuesday, May 05, 2009 – According to a report in the New York Times the Federal Trade Commission is doing an investigation between Apple and Google, claiming the two companies are violating the 1914 provision of The Clayton Antitrust Act, which declares that no interlocking directorates can serve on boards of any two competing companies.

Googles chief executive Eric Schmidt, and the former chief executive of Genentech , Arthur Levinson; both serve on the boards of Google and Apple. If the Federal Trade Commission takes action, the two will have to resign and decide from one of the companies they would stay on with.
The report states that The Clayton Antitrust Act is very rarely used, but the interest has caught the eye of the FTC who has contacted Apple and Google to let them know of their awareness that may take action.
Levinson has been on the board since 2000 and Schmidt has been on the board with Apple since 2006.
Schmidt had been on Barack Obambas campaingn and has been appointed as the presidents science advisor.
This is Googles second case of antitrust they are facing. The other case includes a book publishers settlement that some say will limit book search competition.
Apple and Google are competition towards each other, but their products barely even aim for the same customers. They both have smartphone software, and web browsers; but Googles aim is towards Microsoft.
Google has the Chrome Browser to replace the Internet Explorer and for Microsoft’s Windows Mobile, Google has the Android phone platform.
Apple depends on Google to help bring a variety of services on the iPhone, Apple TV, MAC, and search, maps and includes expanding into YouTube.