Google Fined $660,000 For Making Google Maps Free

[exfileme]

Google is facing a $660,000 fine in France for making Google Maps free to businesses.

Google Fined $660,000 For Making Google Maps Free : Read more

 

[may1]

really? I've studied about anti-competitive practices and predatory pricing, but Google map can in no way be subject to predatory pricing or any other anti-competitive practices. France you mad?

 

[Guest]

First para last sentence is misleading - It should be read "fee" rather than "free"

 

[sarcasm]

Sorry if my reading comprehension is a bit off tonight, but they're getting fined for offering a free service while "competitors" are charging? Did I read that correctly?

 

[irish_adam]

Sued because they MIGHT charge at a later date? Surely you can only argue its anti-competitive if google then starts charging once the competition is gone? Also surely that means you can sue any company that offers a free service that you charge a fee for, where does that end?

 

[icepick314]

what the French court is saying is that Google Map is free at first while other map service is not...

when the paid map service bankrupts and couldn't keep up with Google Maps, Google then would charge fees...

from the article - "Bottin Cartographes provides the same services but for a fee, thus complained to the court that Google's strategy was aimed at undercutting competitors by temporarily swallowing the full cost until it gains control of the market."

 

[jimmysmitty]

[citation][nom]sarcasm[/nom]Sorry if my reading comprehension is a bit off tonight, but they're getting fined for offering a free service while "competitors" are charging? Did I read that correctly?[/citation]

Yep. The thing is that Goggle maps, as nice as it is, is not quite as robust or even always up to date as one that companies sell. Normally it takes a year or two for major changes to be seen on Google Maps. I can still go to some of my old residences and see my old car parked there and the last move was 2 years ago.

Thing is that Google doesn't charge for any of their services so in reality everything they offer is doing the same thing. But its not anti-competitive. Anti-competitive is when you undercut, manipulate and try to control the market. Google, they may, but as far as we can tell does not do those thing.

 

[aftcomet]

Not really sure what this fine is going to do. Google will happily pay it because it'll probably cost them more to proceed with litigation.

 

[thor220]

Apparently it is now illegal to do something that MIGHT lead to something illegal. This is a load of bull and the french court has no ground to charge google on the fact that they might use their position for a monopoly. I can see maybe a block of google's practices if their was more evidence of a monopoly but giving that company a lump sum of cash is not fixing the situation.

 

[CKKwan]

It should be called as "un-competitive law"

But again it is a reasonable move. Because......

The US even uses the same excuse to tax Chinese goods (which is not free). Eventhough they sold at the same price in China / US.

 

[nekoangel]

So if somehow Google was able to make it legally binding that they will never charge for google maps it would completely nullify the current claims?

 

[bebangs]

so google should charge france users $1 instead for access.. is it still anti-competitive?

it's a competition they cant compete.

 

[poxenium]

So let me get this straight, people (and businesses) aren't allowed to get free services when possible? and for example Apple is allowed to charge as much as it wants for everything?
If this is in fact the view of the French commercial court, then combined with recent SOPA, ACTA and PIPA attempts, this will lead to capitalism's failure for sure; people will not stand for it anymore.

 

[livebriand]

[citation][nom]sarcasm[/nom]Sorry if my reading comprehension is a bit off tonight, but they're getting fined for offering a free service while "competitors" are charging? Did I read that correctly?[/citation]
Mapquest anyone? Bing Maps? They do know that most consumers won't pay unless they absolutely have to, right? And what about the free market? lol...

 

[Guest]

I'm selling breathing for a fee! Should I sue the WHOLE WIDE WORLD because they are breathing for free????

 

[tului]

Why would I pay for some blood sucking company for information that should be free?

 

[upgrade_1977]

What B.S.!! Google is in no way in competition with any of the other companies, it offers a free service which is beneficial to everyone on the planet. Any free service's like this saves people all around the world millions of dollars. If the business is loosing money because of it, then they need to get into a different business. What, the world should have to pay service fee's to keep the company in business? Any free service that benefits the world like google maps (mapquest), should get a noble prize. What sue happy Azzholes!!

Next thing you know they will be going after free open source software, like linux, gimp, or open office. I think in a perfect world, everything would be free to consumers. But it's stupid stuff like this that is making the rich richer and the poor poorer. They should have laws to prevent stuff like this from happening if it benefits the world.

 

[emperorxyz]

The point of commercial laws is to protect the consumer, not to make sure companies have high profit. If google was giving the map service for free until its competitors go bankrupt and then jack up the prices, that would be anti-competitive. But since they are not doing that (as I don't think they will start charging for their maps) they shouldn't be guilty of anything. The French have to remember that their citizens are benefiting from having this service. Protectionism against foreign competition has never benefited a country in the long run. I just hope people would recognize that for companies of any country, not just the U.S. ones.

 

[zulutech]

I'm going to charge everyone for everything, then sue all of you who will not pay me, because freedom is 'anti-competitive'.

 

[Guest]

"Because Google was offering a service that one French company provided for free"

proof your article before you release it to the public.