Android Antitrust Lawsuit Complains Google Gives Away OS For Free
An Android antitrust lawsuit is complaining about Google giving away the Android OS for free.
As previously reported by The Inquisitr, Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie will be the next big iteration of the Android operating system. Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie rumors say the next major release of the Android operating system by Google will happen some time in 2013. No exact details have been released but it’s expected to use the faster Linux 3.8 kernel and bundle in several new features. Google is also working on the Google Glass, which will incorporate the Android OS and can be used in all sorts of interesting places.
Ironically, Microsoft is leading the charge in the FairSearch initiative comprised of 17 companies, including Nokia and Oracle. The Google Android antitrust lawsuit is being filed with European authorities and the companies are asking they launch an antitrust investigation into Google’s dominance of Internet usage on mobile devices. They argue it’s unfair for Google to bundle so many apps with its free Android OS, much in the same way Microsoft was successfully sued for bundling Internet Explorer with Windows.
Thomas Vinje, the group’s Brussels-based lawyer, specifies the reason for the Google Android antitrust lawsuit:
“Google is using its Android mobile operating system as a Trojan horse to deceive partners, monopolize the mobile marketplace and control consumer data. … Android phone makers who want to include must-have Google apps such as Maps, YouTube or Play are required to pre-load an entire suite of Google mobile services and to give them prominent default placement on the phone. … Google’s predatory distribution of Android at below-cost makes it difficult for other providers of operating systems to recoup investments in competing with Google’s dominant mobile platform.”
At this point you’re probably wondering, “If Google makes everything free, then how do they make money?” The open source Android operating system could be called a loss leader. Google makes its vast amount of money through advertising and a percentage of every app sale on Google Play.
The Google Android antitrust lawsuit strikes at the heart of open source software in general. For example, Linux is technically free and the runs the vast majority of servers, but companies that make the distributions make money by offering services to install and maintain the Linux servers.
Do you think the Google Android antitrust lawsuit is fair to complain about Google giving away software for free?
