Google Operating System Raises Apple Antitrust Issues
SAN FRANCISCO — As Google prepares to unveil its own operating system, based on its Chrome browser, all eyes are on its intensifying competition with the software giant Microsoft.But Google’s announcement on Tuesday also complicates its relationship with Apple, a longtime ally. Regulators at the Federal Trade Commission have been investigating whether Google and Apple are violating antitrust laws by sharing two board members: Eric E. Schmidt, chief executive of Google, and Arthur D. Levinson, chief executive of Genentech. Under Section 8 of the Clayton Antitrust Act, companies with “interlocking directorates” face limits on sharing information through common board members. The investigation has been going on for several months, said people with knowledge of the situation…
