As of September 2008 Page 1 of 14 Experts question potential Google/Yahoo! deal as anticompetitive Advertisers and Publishers On Wednesday, the International Advertising Association issued a letter saying it has expressed concerns to the Justice Department about the proposed deal. The New York-based IAA wrote that its concerns "revolve around the ultimate probability of less competition, an increased pricing landscape, and the fear that such a monopoly could impact innovation." -- Michael Lee, Executive Director, International Advertising Association (IAA) Privacy group chimes in on Yahoo, Google pact, MarketWatch, By John Letzing, September 25, 2008 http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/privacy-group-chimes-yahoo-google/ story.aspx?guid=%7B23C9146F-2B20-46D5-88B8-99B9FCA2E8F9%7D&dist=hpts The WFA said in its statement that even though the partnership will only cover Yahoo sites in the U.S. and Canada, it "believes the effects will be global." In particular, the WFA said the deal could result in price increases for advertisers, and a reduced number of available options for search advertising. "The substantial benefits for both parties in the U.S. and Canada will almost certainly reduce their incentive to compete in other markets as they do today," the WFA said. -- World Federation of Advertisers (WFA) More advertisers seek to block Yahoo-Google pact, MarketWatch, By John Letzing, September 22, 2008 http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/yahoo-google-pact-faces-more-advertiser/story. aspx?guid=%7B7787F64F-9EA6-4FC9-8E80-6C0375CBBCF9%7D&dist=msr_1 "WAN believes that the competition that currently exists between Google and Yahoo is absolutely essential to ensuring that our member titles receive competitive returns for online advertising on their sites, and for obtaining competitive prices when they purchase paid search advertising." He added: "In our view the proposed advertising deal between Google and Yahoo would seriously weaken that competition, resulting in less revenues and higher prices for our members.” "WAN is also concerned that this deal would give Google unwarranted market power over important segments of online advertising." -- Gavin O'Reilly, President, World Association of Advertisers (WAN) WAN fights Google/Yahoo ad deal, Guardian, September 15, 2008 http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/sep/15/pressandpublishing.googlethemedia/print As of September 2008 Page 2 of 14 "We will suggest to the Bureau that this partnership not be allowed to go through or operate as such in Canada," said Bob Reaume, vice-president of policy and research for the ACA. "…the partnership is not going to be good. It will restrict competition and create a potential monopoly for Google," he added. --Bob Reaume, Vice-president of policy and research, Association of Canadian Advertisers (ACA) Canadian advertisers call on government to stop Google-Yahoo partnership; IT Business Canada; By Nestor E. Arellano; September 9, 2008 http://www.itbusiness.ca/it/client/en/home/news.asp?id=49840 New York-based ANA said it sent a letter to Assistant Attorney General Thomas O. Barnett, citing concerns "that the partnership will likely diminish competition, increase concentration of market power, limit choices currently available and potentially raise prices to advertisers for high quality, affordable search advertising." “We believe that the overall impact of this deal is a negative for advertisers and the marketplace.” -- Bob Liodice, President and CEO, Association of National Advertisers (ANA) Ad trade group opposes Google/Yahoo collaboration, Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal, September 8, 2008 http://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/stories/2008/09/08/daily8.html As Google has become more and more dominant, people are becoming increasingly concerned about its market position. There are very few media owners that have 70 or 80 or 90 per cent market share, which they would if the Google-Yahoo! link in America becomes a reality. --Sir Martin Sorrell, chief executive, WPP advertising group Into the future: Pros and cons of a Google world, The Observer, August 17, 2008 http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/aug/17/googlethemedia.google1 At its core, the question before the DoJ is basic economics and antitrust law: Is Google using its corporate muscle to establish an impregnable position in Web advertising? "We like to see a healthy market with lots of players and competition," said Sarah Fay, CEO of Aegis Media North America, who expects to talk to the department soon. -- Sarah Fay, CEO of Aegis Media North America "The advertiser will find itself spending more for the same amount of clicks because they're coming from the most expensive part of the ecosystem," said Kevin Lee, CEO of Did-it.com, a New York search- marketing firm. "It's not rocket science." --Kevin Lee, CEO of Did-it.com Google's Yahoo! Deal Rankles, Ad Week; By Brian Morrissey, August 11, 2008 http://www.adweek.com/aw/content_display/news/digital/e3i1e343e9ca0d6f68b176c54741d5c8437 As of September 2008 Page 3 of 14 One measure of what sort of effect this will have was published Tuesday morning by SearchIgnite, a company that sells software companies use to manage their search advertising. Its conclusion is that overall, the cost to advertisers of a click from Yahoo’s site will go up by 22 percent if Google sells the ads. ….Roger Barnette, President of SearchIgnite, said his firm isn’t taking a position on how Congress or the Justice Department should react to Yahoo’s deal with Google. But the firm and its clients are concerned about the consolidation of search advertising. “Broadly, our clients feel that the more competition in the industry is better for them,” he said. “The more vendors you buy from, the more leverage you have.” -- Roger Barnette, President of SearchIgnite As Sold by Google, Ads on Yahoo Could Cost 22 Percent More, New York Times Bits Blog, By Saul Hansell, July 15, 2008 http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/07/15/as-sold-by-google-ads-on-yahoo-could-cost-22-percent- more/?scp=1&sq=searchignite&st=cse The Google-Yahoo partnership has theoretical implications for the search market and, by consequence, for the whole advertising market. It's reasonable to speculate that a successful test will lead to a growing role for Google in delivering advertising in response to Yahoo search queries. In the event this transpires, there will be a de facto consolidation in U.S. search. …Ultimately, the cost [per click] will rise to that marginal point at which the channel is no longer profitable for advertisers, in turn reducing the available cash for paying staff throughout the supply chain and reducing budgets for innovation and new demand-generating goods and services. …Google is, of course, the potential monopolist, and it would be utterly churlish not to applaud the innovation and commercial acumen that has driven its success as a business, as a partner to other businesses and as a service from which consumers derive value. However, a monopoly is a monopoly -- even if arrived at by totally fair means -- and all monopolies require regulation to protect wider economic and social interests. -- Rob Norman, Chief Executive, GroupM Interaction Worldwide Giving Some Thought to Google, the 'Potential Monopolist', Advertising Age, By Rob Norman, July 14, 2008 http://adage.com/digital/article?article_id=129574&search_phrase=google "Things are moving towards an incredibly anti-competitive situation given that Google and Yahoo control such a huge proportion of the market." --Nigel Gwilliam, Institute of Practitioners of Advertising Advertisers are already restricted, according to some agencies. "There is a limit to what you can do with clients' digital spend at the moment, because Google is pretty much the whole market," Arjo Ghosh, the chief executive of iCrossing, said. "It is becoming a dominant media owner, but without the experience or regulation or monitoring there is with traditional owners like television." -- Arjo Ghosh, Chief Executive, iCrossing Discontent flares over Google's 'dominance', The Independent, By Sarah Arnott, June 16, 2008 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/discontent-flares-over-googles-dominance-847920.html As of September 2008 Page 4 of 14 Generally bid prices are lower on Yahoo than on Google; once this program is implemented, ads on certain Yahoo queries will be affixed with Google-like prices. Yahoo and Google were careful to explain the search deal isn't exclusive, but most search marketing experts say it might as well be for the Yahoo search queries pages on which Google ads could appear, since Google makes more money per query than Yahoo. "We'd have to take a look at money that was allocated for Yahoo and factor in higher [cost per click] under this," said Scott Linzer, director-search marketing for AKQA, adding that marketers will have to get creative and work harder to maintain efficiency. -- Scott Linzer, Director-search marketing for AKQA Google May Gain $1 Billion in Yahoo Ad Pact, Advertisers Suspect Prices Will Increase, Advertising Age, By Abbey Klaassen, June 16, 2008 http://adage.com/digital/article?article_id=127763&search_phrase=google "Anytime you have this level of consolidation or control by one company in any industry should raise concerns," said Michael Menis, vice president of global marketing services at InterContinental Hotels Group, which bids on millions of key words a day from Google. -- Michael Menis, Vice president of global marketing services, InterContinental Hotels Group Google-Yahoo Poses Ad-Rate Worries, Wall Street Journal, By Jessica E. Vascellaro and Emily Steel, June 14, 2008 http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121340486730674061.html?mod=googlenews_wsj "My spend on Yahoo may go down if they're just going to serve Google ads," says Brian Waldman, a Boston-based internet marketer. "The more choices you have as a consumer, the more likely you are to have more competition and better prices . . . I don't know a lot of people in my industry who would look at the concept of bigger Google as a good thing." …."In the search marketing community, we all want there to be a more equal spread between the three main search platforms," Waldman says. -- Brian Waldman, a Boston-based internet marketer Yahoo Customers Pan Google Ad Deal, WIRED Epicenter Blog, By Betsy Schiffman June 13, 2008 http://blog.wired.com/business/2008/06/marketers-see-l.html “There’s an appeal in terms of ease of management and optimization” of online campaigns, said Aaron Goldman, vice president for marketing and strategic partnerships at Resolution Media, an Omnicom agency that does search marketing. “Of course the downside is, in that environment, what is Google’s motivation to continue innovating, to be more transparent with data, which is something that’s been a big knock on them for a while? What are you going to do, not use them?” -- Aaron Goldman, Vice President for Marketing and Strategic Partnerships, Resolution Media Advertisers Give Thumbs-Down to Google-Yahoo Deal, New York Times Bits Blog, By Stephanie Clifford, June 13, 2008 http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/06/13/advertisers-give-thumbs-down-to-google-yahoo-deal/ As of September 2008 Page 5 of 14 [The] deal was “really scary from an advertiser’s perspective, knowing that we need Google, and if they decided to raise their prices or assess other fees, they have a lot of power now.” He added: “Even though Yahoo would be a separate entity, outsourcing search is essentially giving the keys to Google. From an advertiser’s perspective, it’s really scary how much it resembles a powerful monopoly over search ads.” -- Michael Mothner, Wpromote “It goes in the opposite direction of what marketers want,” said Warren Cowan, chief executive of Greenlight, a British search-marketing firm. “It means more consolidation with one large partner. If a marketer wants to diversify their risk and spread their risk across multiple channels, that will be harder to do.” -- Warren Cowan, Chief Executive, Greenlight Advertisers Give Thumbs-Down to Google-Yahoo Deal, New York Times Bits Blog, By Stephanie Clifford, June 13, 2008 http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/06/13/advertisers-give-thumbs-down-to-google-yahoo-deal/ Unfortunately, in this scenario, there is a significant likelihood that the performance of Google’s network for many advertisers could be negatively affected (increase in keyword costs and possible decrease in conversion rates). Advertisers may end up seeing that an ad which worked on Google may no longer work because a large percentage of the ads are now being shown on a network that has traditionally operated very differently from a conversion and CPA perspective. ….So, what about the Search marketplace? The fruition of the proposed deal will certainly thin out the opportunity for Search to grow because advertisers will really only have two networks to buy into. Depending on the reaction of the market and advertisers, this partnership may move Yahoo back to the pre-Overture days and could result in Google controlling virtually all Search spend. -- Matt Naeger, Executive VP, Operations, SearchEngineOptimization.com The Google/Yahoo Agreement --What does this mean for advertisers? SearchEngineOptimization.com; June 13 2008 http://www.searchengineoptimization.com/google/the-googleyahoo-agreement/ Bryan Wiener, CEO of 360i, said marketers may be less inclined to use it if it erodes Yahoo's share of search spend by even a small amount -- say, from 20% to 18% or 15%. He calls Google's system an "effective but not transparent auction" and said that if it becomes essentially a single provider of search, should it ever become less effective as an advertising solution, marketers won't have the option of moving to another search provider. .…"By Yahoo's own testament, Google's going to win that auction [for the ad placement]," said Mr. Weiner. "An auction scenario doesn't effectively solve the problem of market concentration. An oligopoly is quickly becoming monopoly." --Bryan Wiener, Chief Executive of New York-based agency 360i "The three keys are innovation, competition and scale," said Rob Norman, CEO of Group M Interaction. "Anything that stops any one of them is a problem." -- Rob Norman, CEO of Group M Interaction Yahoo, Google Strike a Deal on Paid Search, Advertising Age, By Abbey Klaassen, June 12, 2008 http://adage.com/digital/article?article_id=127733 As of September 2008 Page 6 of 14 Antitrust Experts Lisa Jose Fales, a Washington, D.C.-based attorney with Venable LLP, said that while Kent's hiring doesn't necessarily mean the Canadian government will take action to limit or prevent the partnership (expected to be implemented in the United States and Canada next month), it nonetheless signals that they believe they might have a good case. "His practice is complex litigation in the competitive realm, so it certainly would suggest there is some strong interest in the transaction on the part of Canadian law enforcement," Fales added. "Government competitive authorities don't go out and retain private litigators unless they at least have a belief that there is some theory for the litigators to pursue." -- Lisa Jose Fales, Attorney, Venable LLP Bernard Nigro, an attorney with Willkie Farr & Gallagher, said that Kent's hiring is similar to that of Litvack in the States. "David Kent has a good reputation in the antitrust field, so I'm sure they're looking to get an objective opinion on the merits of the case before deciding what to do," he commented. -- Bernard Nigro, Attorney, Willkie Farr & Gallagher Kent hiring hints at threat for Yahoo, Google deal, MarketWatch, By John Letzing, September 29, 2008 http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/new-sign-yahoo-google-deal-under/story.aspx? guid=%7BAD45B2BE-97C7-4B21-9B41-09A5FDD18E32%7D&dist=hpts A Washington think tank devoted to antitrust issues has issued a 19-page analysis of the Google-Yahoo deal that warns that the transaction has the potential to become "a black hole that swallows up Yahoo." "We believe that the transaction could be blocked on antitrust grounds," according to the report by the American Antitrust Institute, which conducted its analysis based on briefings with the companies and publicly available data. ..."It strains credulity to believe that Google would agree to an arrangement that gives its chief rival $800 million to invest in efforts that would, if successful, reduce Google's market power," the white paper, by Norman Hawkes, Western Michigan University professor said. The paper was approved by the AAI board of directors. -- Norman Hawkes, Senior Fellow of the AAI and Professor at Western Michigan University Think Tank: GOOHOO Deal May Be A "Black Hole", Washington Post IT Blog, By Peter Whoriskey , September 23, 2008 http://voices.washingtonpost.com/posttech/2008/09/think_tank_goohoo_deal_may_be.html?nav=rss_blog The government should insist on a consent decree which preserves Yahoo’s incentives to remain in the paid search market. If such a consent decree cannot be achieved, then the government should seek an injunction to prevent Google and Yahoo from implementing their agreement. [AAI whitepaper] -- Norman Hawkes, Senior Fellow of the AAI and Professor at Western Michigan University Another voice against the Google/Yahoo ad deal, Financial Times Blog, By Richard Waters, September 23, 2008 http://blogs.ft.com/techblog/2008/09/another-voice-against-the-googleyahoo-ad-partnership/ As of September 2008 Page 7 of 14 Regulators in Europe may be concerned the agreement will lead to the companies cooperating worldwide, increasing their knowledge about each other's prices, said Simon Pilsbury, an economist specializing in competition issues at the Oxera consulting firm in Brussels. -- Simon Pilsbury, Economist, Oxera consulting Google, Yahoo Face EU Antitrust Probe Into Ad Deal, Bloomberg, September 15, 2008 http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=abt2qlXdjnIw "Rhetoric is not evidence," he said. "At the end of the day, you're going to have to show some very effective computer modelling ... to show that consumers are at worst no worse off." "The Justice Department should have a very healthy scepticism when number one and number two get together for a joint venture and say they're going to compete," he added. -- Evan Stewart, Zuckerman Spaeder LLP Antitrust experts say Yahoo-Google deal faces scrutiny, Reuters, By Diane Bartz, June 19, 2008 http://uk.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUKN1833443320080619 "Consumers need assurance that robust competition on the Internet will not be undermined by this unusual agreement," said Albert A. Foer, President of the AAI. Given the importance of Internet advertising to the advertising industry, web content providers, and ultimately the vast number of consumers who depend on the Internet, this transaction should be analyzed under two broad approaches, explained Foer. First, it should be analyzed in terms of effects on competition and innovation in search engine services and the advertising they create. Second, this deal should also be analyzed from a broader systems perspective, because searching is only one of the functions performed by the Google and Yahoo! platforms today, and it is equally important that the Yahoo! platform remain a viable base for future areas of Internet competition. -- Albert A. Foer, President of the AAI AAI Issues Seven Antitrust Questions About Google-Yahoo!, News Release, June 16, 2008 http://www.antitrustinstitute.org/archives/files/Google7questions6.16.08_061620082019.pdf A deal between Google, the No. 1 search engine, and Yahoo, a distant No. 2, raises serious antitrust concerns. Attorneys observing from the outside expect the deal to get a tough regulatory review by the Department of Justice. "It's a market that affects an awful lot of both consumers and vendors," said David Turetsky, co-chair of the antitrust group at the law firm Dewey LeBoeuf and a former assistant attorney general for antitrust issues. "It's going to get a very, very careful look." -- David Turetsky, Partner, Dewey LeBoeuf and a former assistant attorney general for antitrust issues Yahoo-Google ad pact raises antitrust eyebrow, San Francisco Chronicle, By Verne Kopytoff, June 13, 2008 http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/06/13/MNL4118A1E.DTL&type=printable As of September 2008 Page 8 of 14 Financial Analysts The European probe hurts the chances of the agreement being completed, said Colin Gillis, an analyst at Canaccord Adams Inc. in New York. Google, the most popular Internet search engine, has less to gain from the partnership, and scrutiny of the deal in the U.S. and Europe may lead to more examination of Google's other businesses, he said. ``What seemed like a relatively simple arrangement definitely may have long term ramifications for Google,'' Gillis said. He has a ``hold'' rating on Yahoo and recommends buying Google shares. ``They've opened the box. They've opened themselves up to the scrutiny.'' -- Colin Gillis, Analyst, Canaccord Adams Inc. Google, Yahoo Face EU Antitrust Probe Into Ad Deal, Bloomberg, September 15, 2008 http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=abt2qlXdjnIw ... Combined, Google and Yahoo control more than 80 percent of the U.S. search advertising market — a concentration that makes their partnership "a hard sell," Kessler said. "It's a difficult argument to make that this business agreement will promote greater choice, greater competition and a healthier advertising environment.” -- Scott Kessler, Analyst, Standard & Poor's Blair Levin, a regulatory analyst at Stifel Nicolaus, said in a note to clients that the hiring of an outside lawyer such as Litvack is a "rare" move by the department that likely indicates a legal challenge against a company or transaction. "The stakes are ... far higher for Yahoo," Levin wrote, because Google has "already succeeded in keeping Yahoo out of the arms of Microsoft." -- Blair Levin, Analyst, Stifel Nicolaus and former FCC staffer Justice signals challenge to Google-Yahoo deal; Associated Press; By Christopher S. Rugaber; September 9, 2008 http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/G/GOOGLE_YAHOO?SITE=FLSTU&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Jefferies analyst Youseff Squali thinks this presents a new risk for Yahoo: "Despite the quid pro quo nature of the deal, we believe Google will benefit disproportionately from this deal over time given the enticing opportunity to take a peek under the hood at Yahoo!'s non-search business, and the possibility to leverage those insights to improve its growing display business. If Google is able to provide better yield at the tail-end, Yahoo! could face increased risk of affiliates migrating to Google overtime." --Youseff Squali, Analyst, Jefferies Yahoo-Google: Both Sides Win, But Google Wins More: Analyst, Paid Content, By Joseph Weisenthal, August 18, 2008 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/18/AR2008081801200.html As of September 2008 Page 9 of 14 "On the surface, it may be a compelling argument," Rebecca Arbogast, an analyst at Stifel Nicolaus in Washington, said of the companies' case for why the deal would not hurt competition. But she added: "Over time, what this is doing is setting up a trajectory where [advertisers] move over to Google and they become the only game in town." -- Rebecca Arbogast, Analyst, Stifel Nicolaus analyst Google-Yahoo ad deal faces intense scrutiny, Financial Times, By Richard Waters and Joshua Chaffin, June 14, 2008 http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/bc35144c-39a9-11dd-90d7-0000779fd2ac.html Don't listen to Jerry and Sue: Yahoo's search deal with Google won't be a slam dunk to get past antitrust regulators. So says Stifel Nicolaus analyst Blair Levin, a former FCC staffer. The key issue, says Levin in a note issued this morning: Whether Yahoo will be able to maintain the "ability and incentive" to keep its own search advertising product, Panama, alive. ….“But we believe the companies need to do a better job than they did on yesterday's calls to answer the question why the efficiencies of the deal won't ultimately lead advertisers to move to Google, leaving Yahoo without a viable search advertising product and Google as the only search advertising game in town.” -- Blair Levin, Analyst, Stifel Nicolaus and former FCC staffer Former Fed Regulator: Yahoo-Google Search Deal To Face "Serious Antitrust Scrutiny", Silicon Alley Insider, By Dan Frommer, June 13, 2008 http://www.alleyinsider.com/2008/6/former_federal_regulator_yahoo_google_ search_deal_to_face_serious_antitrust_scrutiny While the agreement is clearly structured to emphasize its non-exclusivity and open marketplace, Google will certainly be the only meaningful provider. Additionally, no matter how you look at this deal, it raises pricing for advertisers, a potential red flag for regulators. --Benjamin Schachter, UBS Securities UBS Analyst Report, By Benjamin Schachter, June 13, 2008 This agreement hinders Yahoo’s competitiveness as it reduces Yahoo’s utility for advertisers. Yahoo’s already limited network effects will now accrue to Google at a greater rate. And, Yahoo will have a less compelling search and display integrated package for advertisers. --Clayton Moran, Stanford Group Institutional Research Stanford Group Institutional Research Report, By Clayton Moran, June 13, 2008 As of September 2008 Page 10 of 14 Consumer Groups The Center for Digital Democracy said in a letter to Sen. Herb Kohl that in addition to a potential impact on direct competition in the search advertising market, the proposed partnership could threaten Internet users' privacy by placing too much user data with a single entity. "Competition and data privacy in the online market are inextricably linked," CDD Executive Director Jeff Chester wrote, "U.S. consumers are not receiving the privacy safeguards necessary as major mergers or deals in this sector are being reviewed, including the current Google/Yahoo case." -- Jeff Chester, Executive Director of the Center for Digital Democracy Privacy group chimes in on Yahoo, Google pact, MarketWatch, By John Letzing, September 25, 2008 http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/privacy-group-chimes-yahoo-google/ story.aspx?guid=%7B23C9146F-2B20-46D5-88B8-99B9FCA2E8F9%7D&dist=hpts “Any close examination of Google’s business practices and its proposed ad partnership with Yahoo would show why the Department of Justice is seriously investigating Google and Yahoo for antitrust violations.” “Far from the benign search engine most people know, Google is a take-no-prisoners aspiring monopolist, with an extensive predatory playbook to thwart competition. Google cleverly employs five anti-competitive strategies to foreclose actual and potential competition to Google’s search advertising hegemony.” “Google arguably enjoys more efficiencies and network effects than any company ever investigated by the DOJ Antitrust authorities -- with at least twenty-six identified sources of market power -- more than Standard Oil, IBM, AT&T or Microsoft ever achieved in their day.” -- Scott Cleland, President, Precursor LLC and Chairman, NetCompetition.org Googleopoly II: Google's Predatory Playbook to Thwart Competition -- a new White Paper, Precursor Blog, By Scott Cleland, September 23, 2008 http://precursorblog.com/content/googleopoly-ii-googles-predatory-playbook-thwart-competition-a-new-white-paper A monopoly bottleneck in this space would literally destroy the marketplace and leave a lot of wreckage in its wake. ….In effect, the merger that would give Google 90 percent market share could make it a Web gangster of sorts, able to extract unfairly high prices from advertisers and free to use Internet publishing space on unfairly cheap terms under a “take it or leave it” agreement. The monopolist would make out like a bandit, but everyone else loses. -- Karen Love, Publisher and First Vice Chairwoman, National Newspapers Publishers Association Minority media ownership in the Internet economy, Chicago Defender, August 6, 2008 http://www.chicagodefender.com/article-1500-minority-media-ownership-in-the-internet-economy.html As of September 2008 Page 11 of 14 [M]ore objections to the partnership were raised by the American Consumer Institute, which said a permanent deal between Yahoo and Google raises serious concerns for consumers and businesses. "In our view, Google's dominance of online search and advertising has already reached a tipping point," the organization said in a statement. "If a Google/Yahoo deal becomes business-as-usual, Google would have garnered nearly all of the search advertising market." And that would mean that Google would influence what consumers see in terms of advertising and search ranking, causing consumers to click on ads in ways that benefit Google, its products and its sponsors. The group is urging the DOJ to block the deal. -- American Consumer Institute Google, Yahoo and the elephant in the room, PC World: Australia, By Linda Rosencrance (Computerworld), June 16, 2008 http://www.pcworld.idg.com.au/index.php/id;2016606166;fp;2;fpid;1;pf;1 “The Google-Yahoo! combination is a game changing development for the Internet’s future. Rampant consolidation in the online advertising market raises serious concerns for consumer privacy and the ability of Hispanic small businesses to reach their target markets.” -- Brent Wilkes, National Executive Director, LULAC League of United Latin American Citizens, News Release, Statement and Call to DOJ to Investigate, June 13, 2008 http://www.lulac.org/ “There is no denying that the proposed partnership between Google and Yahoo! would create a de facto online gatekeeper, raising prices for small businesses seeking to grab a piece of the growing online marketplace. The companies have argued that they don’t “set” ad prices, but when all would-be advertisers are forced to participate in the same auction, prices will skyrocket and smaller players can be more easily shut out.” -- Harry Alford, President and CEO of the National Black Chamber of Commerce National Black Chamber of Commerce, News Release, Statement and Call for Investigation, June 13, 2008 http://www.nationalbcc.org/ Editorial Comment ….BoomTown is both gobsmacked and a bit in awe that Schmidt–now sitting atop the high-tech pig pile as CEO of the powerful search giant, Google–can, with a straight face, make the argument that everyone is wrong to be nervous about its deal with Yahoo to serve some of its search and text advertising. Along with customers, competitors and anyone who fears a concentration of power in the hands of one player, I have been a critic of the deal since it was announced in the spring as a Hail Mary play to get Yahoo out of the clutches of Microsoft. --Kara Swisher, All Things Digital Too-Powerful Google Thumbs Its Nose at Everyone–Good Luck With That, Eric!. All Things Digital, September 18, 2008 http://kara.allthingsd.com/20080918/too-powerful-google-thumbs-its-nose-at-everyone-good-luck-with-that-eric/ As of September 2008 Page 12 of 14 Canada's Competition Bureau has launched an investigation of an ad-sharing deal between internet search rivals Google and Yahoo. The investigation, confirmed yesterday, will look at the effect of the tie-up on the online advertising market in Canada, where Google controls over 80 per cent of the online search market. Canada investigates Google/Yahoo, Global Competition Review, August 26, 2008 http://www.globalcompetitionreview.com/news/frontpage.cfm In July, the U.S. Department of Justice announced it was launching its own investigation into the deal – which would see ads from Google appear on Yahoo's search results pages – but some experts say the deal could have more serious implications for the Canadian market. Google's stranglehold on Canada's search market is even tighter than its grip in the U.S., leading some analysts, and competitors such as Microsoft Corp., to claim that adding Yahoo to the mix will make the tech titan too strong in Canada, leaving it without a viable competitor and allowing it to charge more for the top ad slots on search results. A spokeswoman for the Competition Bureau confirmed a review is under way and that the organization is co-ordinating its investigation with U.S. officials. She would not say how long the probe is expected to last, but noted: “We're always mindful of the parties' time frame.” Competition watchdog reviewing Google's Yahoo deal, The Globe and Mail, By Matt Hartley, August 26, 2008 http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20080826.RGOOGLE26/TPStory/Business Google and Yahoo have published a highly redacted version of their search-advertising deal. Even most of the definitions have been censored, making it hard to follow. But this much is clear: This is far more than the modest search-advertising deal Yahoo and Google executives have talked about. -- Owen Thomas, Valleywag Yahoo deal lets Google sell ads all over the Web, Valleywag; By Owen Thomas; August 11, 2008 http://valleywag.com/5035637/yahoo-deal-lets-google-sell-ads-all-over-the-web Regulators should thank Yahoo! co-founder Jerry Yang, for accelerating a process that otherwise might have taken years to come about. Quite incredibly, Yang handed Google dominant market power in paid search advertising a few weeks ago, when he announced Yahoo! would trial Google's Adsense. It was just a trial, Yahoo! said, but by giving its prime advertising competitor access to its own properties, it couldn't be making a clearer statement. This destroyed any illusion that paid search advertising was a highly competitive three way market - and almost nobody noticed. -- Andrew Orlowski, The Register Google: the mother of antitrust battles? The Register UK; By Andrew Orlowski; July 15, 2008 http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/07/15/google_antitrust_preview As of September 2008 Page 13 of 14 The deal, as currently structured, substantially alters the Internet economy. Advertising is the prime revenue stream for social networks, news sites and Internet aggregators of all kinds, and it's closely linked to search. Instead of a search market where three players compete vigorously for eyeballs, this [Google-Yahoo] deal would create a status quo where the top dog enjoys an 85 percent market share and the ability to set prices for search ads with no fear of being undercut by its much weaker sole competitor. This should set alarms clanging wherever antitrust and personal privacy concerns are held dear, but it hasn't. -- Richard Bennett, Chronicle guest writer, Network Foundry and Bay area architect, inventor & speaker Google's political head-fake, San Francisco Chronicle, By Richard Bennett, July 9, 2008 http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/07/09/EDBH11LNQS.DTL&hw=yahoo&sn=001&sc=245 “Yahoo and Google are reportedly trying to blunt concerns by claiming that ‘search’ is not a distinct market but just one blurry element of a broader ‘online advertising’ market--and that the Yahoo-Google deal therefore won't lead to a dominant market share. This position is ludicrous, of course. Search is a very distinct market, and one player--Google--already has overwhelming share.” -- Henry Blodget, Blogger, Silicon Alley Insider Mr. Yang Goes To Washington...To Try to Parry Microsoft Attack on Yahoo-Google Deal, Silicon Alley Insider; By Henry Blodget, June 19, 2008 http://www.alleyinsider.com/2008/5/mr_yang_goes_to_washington_to_try_to_defuse_microsoft_attack_on_google_deal The deal gives Google, already the dominant player with more than 60 percent market share, even more power. That's worrisome for competition and innovation in Internet services. The pact that unites the No. 1 and No. 2 players deserves serious scrutiny from antitrust regulators. Editorial: Yahoo's drama ends in clear win - for Google, San Jose Mercury News, June 17, 2008 http://www.mercurynews.com/opinion/ci_9609830 Now, advertisers worry that they will have to pay more for search marketing terms -- oh yeah, and that Google will dominate the world. World domination by Google. It seems that a blogger named Urgo isn't the only one with this fear. Advertisers worry that Google already has too much information about where people are going on the Web and what advertisers are paying to reach them. Now it will have even more. Decreased competition. Yahoo could put its own search marketing arm out of business if it increasingly relies on Google's ads because they're more lucrative. Then, only Microsoft and Google would be left as the big search players. As Adam Smith tells us, less competition isn't good for business. Advertiser reaction to Yahoo-Google deal: Ack! LA Times Blog, June 13, 2008 http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2008/06/advertisers-rea.html As of September 2008 Page 14 of 14 Yahoo's deal to outsource a share of its search advertising to Google, and to end talks about a sale of the company to Microsoft, is bad news for Yahoo shareholders. It also marks an effort by Google, the juggernaut of the search sector, to extend its market dominance. Such an extension would be bad for competition, bad for innovation in internet search, and bad for advertisers. The US Department of Justice should object to this deal. Editorial Comment: A real Yagoohoogle, Financial Times, June 13, 2008 http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/f3db4d28-3975-11dd-90d7-0000779fd2ac.html Google said the deal did not need regulatory approval but that it would delay its implementation by up to three and a half months to give the US Department of Justice a chance to review it. However, the deal is likely to attract attention from competition regulators in Washington, according to the BBC's technology correspondent Rory Cellan-Jones. "Alarm bells were already ringing on Capitol Hill over Yahoo's 'limited' trial in April of Google's technology," he said. -- Rory Cellan-Jones, BBC's technology correspondent Yahoo-Google agree online ad deal, BBC News, June 13, 2008 http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/business/7451946.stm The delicate power balance among the big players was disrupted today in a big way, and the consequences will be felt over the coming months and years. We needed a competitive market in search to ensure the health of the Internet. Now, it’s nearly impossible to see how that can happen. -- Michael Arrington, Blogger, Techcrunch Massive Destruction Of Shareholder Value, Employee Morale and Internet Balance Of Power, Techcrunch, By Michael Arrington, June 13, 2008 http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/06/13/massive-destruction-of-shareholder-value-employee-morale-and-internet-health/ A move this aggressive will undoubtedly set off bells, whistles, and sirens in Washington and Brussels. Deals like this between #1 and #2 players in a market are usually frowned upon. Google and Yahoo obviously knew this going in, and have gone to a lot of trouble to structure this deal in a way to avoid regulatory scrutiny. I'm just not sure it's enough. Both American and European regulators put Google on notice following its acquisition of DoubleClick. They essentially said, “OK. But we'll be watching you.” …...Yes, Google may not be increasing its dominance of "search traffic." BUT it will be increasing its share of “sponsored search advertising,” which seems to be the market that the FTC is actually concerned about. The Microsoft, Yahoo, Google Saga. Take 3., ACT Online, Posted by Jonathan Zuck, June 12, 2008 http://blog.actonline.org/2008/06/the-microsoft-y.html