Foundem, a UK-based vertical search engine company and longtime anti-trust nemesis of Google, has brought the Mountain View, California-based Internet giant’s alleged ‘search manipulations’ to the attention of regulators on both sides of the Atlantic in the past.
Now, the UK outfit is suing Google in the UK over ‘anti-competitive behavior’, reports Bloomberg.
In no small part responsible of the two-year and ongoing EU antitrust probe into Google, Foundem is said to be seeking damages for revenue lost as a result of the US company’s “anti- competitive conduct”, lawyers for Foundem said in the court documents.
Although the news comes mere days after the U.S. Federal Trade Commission ended its ant-trust investigation into Google’s search practices, the court documents were actually filed back in October 2012.
The 💜 of EU tech
The latest rumblings from the EU tech scene, a story from our wise ol' founder Boris, and some questionable AI art. It's free, every week, in your inbox. Sign up now!
Foundem claims it has been been ‘unfairly penalized by Google’ because it offers a competing shopping comparison search engine, putting a damper on its search rankings and the traffic Google can generate.
Meanwhile, the EU continues its examination of Google’s search practices, although the parties are reportedly deep in settlement talks.
Also read:
New EU recommendations press Google to offer users greater clarity and control of their data
Google, BMW rated most attractive employers by European business, engineering students
Image credit: Thinkstock
Get the TNW newsletter
Get the most important tech news in your inbox each week.