Google has settled with the Federal Trade Commission to resolve the agency’s 19-month antitrust investigation into the company’s advertising business practices and its use of industry-standard patents against competitors.

The settlement requires Google to meet prior commitments to license key patents under fair, non-discriminatory terms. Following its acquisition of Motorola, Google sought or threatened injunctions against competitors’ products through the International Trade Commission, despite prior promises from Motorola to license relevant patents.

FTC chairman Jon Leibowitz said his agency’s enforcement action makes clear that companies must live up to their patent licensing commitments and will relieve companies of the burden of hoarding patents for defensive purposes, thereby freeing up capital for innovation.
Network Computing