The Antitrust Week In Review

Here are some of the developments in antitrust news this past week that we found interesting and are following.

U.S. judge approves $415 million settlement in tech worker lawsuit.  U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh has granted final approval to a $415 million settlement of the high profile antitrust class action in which workers accused Apple, Google and two other Silicon Valley companies of conspiring to hold down salaries.  The plaintiffs alleged that Apple, Google, Intel Corp and Adobe Systems conspired to avoid poaching each other’s employees, thus limiting job mobility and, as a result, keeping a lid on salaries.

Google Antitrust Inquiries Spread Over Globe, With India the Latest Problem.  Google is now coming under antitrust scrutiny in India.  After a three-year investigation, the Competition Commission of India, India’s antitrust authority, has reportedly sent Google a report expressing concern (similar to European complaints) that Google is abusing its dominant position in search and online advertising by ranking its own services ahead of those of competitors.

German carmakers win US antitrust approval to buy Nokia maps.  German carmakers BMW, Audi and Mercedes have won U.S. antitrust approval to buy Nokia’s maps business for around 2.5 billion euros ($2.8 billion), according to the Federal Trade Commission.  Germany’s three premium carmakers will hold equal stakes in the business, known as HERE, and may allow automakers to offer new premium features, like autonomous driving, in luxury cars, shaking up the pecking order between car makers, their parts suppliers and software rivals like Uber and Google.