The recent consent decree between the Department of Justice and Google, allows Google to acquire ITA, a provider of fare-calculations for online travel agencies.
The settlement requires Google, among other things, to: (1) continue developing ITA’s software products and license them to travel vendors on reasonable terms, (2) implement an internal firewall to prevent Google from gaining access to commercially sensitive information of travel vendors licensing ITA’s products, and (3) refrain from entering agreements with airlines that would deprive travel vendors of flight information.
Interestingly, the department said that “Google will also be required to provide mandatory arbitration under certain circumstances and provide for a formal reporting mechanism for complainants if Google acts in an unfair manner.”
Read the press release here.
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