European Parliament wants Google broken up

[Shane R]

Originally Posted by SteveEisenberg

Maybe the book part of broken-up Google would change. Maybe it would go back into the eInk reader business. But despite that, I agree this has close to nothing to do with eBooks -- because the effect on eBooks of such a breakup is so unpredictable.

Plus the biggest questions in my mind here are indeed political rather than literary. Does Europe really have the raw power to force the breakup of a big multi-national headquartered elsewhere? I'm not sure, but, probably, yes. Would it be a good idea to tweak the American elephant this way? Probably not.

No, but Bill Gates described the MS antitrust lawsuit as a huge distraction, and it would likely be the same for Google. The political winds it would produce would be non-trivial.

What's going on in Europe? Is the political and ideological polarization that afflicts the US spreading there as well?

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by CommonReader

Anyway, I wonder what this has to do with ebooks and what a political thread is doing here under "ebook-news"?

Originally Posted by SteveEisenberg

Maybe the book part of broken-up Google would change. Maybe it would go back into the eInk reader business. But despite that, I agree this has close to nothing to do with eBooks -- because the effect on eBooks of such a breakup is so unpredictable.

Plus the biggest questions in my mind here are indeed political rather than literary. Does Europe really have the raw power to force the breakup of a big multi-national headquartered elsewhere? I'm not sure, but, probably, yes. Would it be a good idea to tweak the American elephant this way? Probably not.

I suggest you browse the News forum a little, you may find this isn't the only thread on a non-related topic. If it really bothers you, complain to the moderators... and remember not to pick on this thread exclusively. Also, don't be surprised if they ignore you.

[crich70]

It is odd what strange bedfellows a topic can acquire along the way.

[fjtorres]

Considering how much mobile reading is done on smartphones in general and on Android in particular, and the likely impact on Android if Google ad money were denied it, the relevance should be obvious. Online reading is also within scope.

Smartphone and tablet news is all over this site, whether it be about Apple, Microsoft, or Google. Also tons of articles about Apple factories, Amazon warehouses, and anything related to the internet and copyright, whether it involve ebooks or not.

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by fjtorres

Considering how much mobile reading is done on smartphones in general and on Android in particular, and the likely impact on Android if Google ad money were denied it, the relevance should be obvious. Online reading is also within scope.

Smartphone and tablet news is all over this site, whether it be about Apple, Microsoft, or Google. Also tons of articles about Apple factories, Amazon warehouses, and anything related to the internet and copyright, whether it involve ebooks or not.

Now, please don't go around upsetting people with reason...

[SteveEisenberg]

Originally Posted by Shane R

What's going on in Europe?

I think CommonReader summed it up earlier in the thread:

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...1&postcount=37

I don't agree with all of the above link, but CommonReader does tell us what is going on.

Is the political and ideological polarization that afflicts the US spreading there as well?

That aspect of American culture does not seem to be contagious. Certainly not in Germany:

http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/20...1/quiet-german

For eInk reading of the above linked article -- one that only becomes relevant to your polarization question towards the end -- I recommend use of the link at longform.org. For an intro, see this link:

http://www.stuartwaterman.com/kindle-longform-reading/

[JSWolf]

Let's get the US to vote to break up the EU. That would get them to stop picking on Google.

[SteveEisenberg]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Let's get the US to vote to break up the EU.

You seem a nice guy and all, but this did remind me of one of bin Laden's goals:

We predict a black day for America and the end of the United States as United States, and (it) will be separate states

Maybe the EU will fall apart two or three Euro crises from now. But if people there think the US is behind the break-up, it will be far less likely to happen.

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by SteveEisenberg

You seem a nice guy and all, but this did remind me of one of bin Laden's goals:

We predict a black day for America and the end of the United States as United States, and (it) will be separate states

Maybe the EU will fall apart two or three Euro crises from now. But if people there think the US is behind the break-up, it will be far less likely to happen.

Apparently you didn't get the joke.

[Shane R]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Let's get the US to vote to break up the EU. That would get them to stop picking on Google.

You have the Pope's vote.

[Ninjalawyer]

Looks like the European Parliament has voted to recommend that Google be broken up (see story here). Or at least that would be the effect - the resolution relates more generally to search engines, but Google is clearly the target as it is the largest in Europe.

As the story notes, the Parliament can't make any binding rules, so this vote serves as more of a recommendation to those in power in each member country. Given that, it's hard to see Google complying with an order to breakup its business from any smaller countries in the EU, rather than just drop out of that country.

On the plus side, they also voted to support net neutrality and a ban on roaming charges, so there's that at least. Still seems to stupid to, across the board, recommend unbundling all search engines from their owners - like a giant baby swinging a sledgehammer.