Apple, Google Resolve FTC Concerns on Shared Board Members

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 13, 2009 - 9:25am.

Washington - The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) said that Google and Apple have resolved its concerns over shared board members, following the departure of former Genentech CEO Arthur D. Levinson from Google's board yesterday. "Google, Apple, and Mr. Levinson should be commended for recognizing that overlapping board members between competing companies raise serious antitrust issues and for their willingness to resolve our concerns without the need for litigation," said FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz.

Earlier this year, Google CEO Eric Schmidt stepped down from his seat on Apple's board of directors.

The FTC has been probing the companies' shared board members for the past six months.

"Beyond this matter, we will continue to monitor companies that share board members and take enforcement actions where appropriate," added Leibowitz.

Related Links:
http://ftc.gov/opa/2009/10/google.shtm

http://snipurl.com/shxdz (DMW previous coverage)