時事新聞:微軟、雅虎交易面臨反壟斷戰?
【英文原文】
Next Up for MicroHoo: An Antitrust Battle?
摘要：看來，微軟(Microsoft)和雅虎(Yahoo)已經讓對方相信，把雙方的搜索和廣告業務結合起來是好事一樁。不過，它們是否能讓反壟斷監管機構相信這樁交易對市場有好處呢？
So, Microsoft and Yahoo have convinced each other that search and advertising between the companies is a good thing. But will they be able to convince antitrust regulators that the deal's good for the marketplace? Possibly, but it won't happen without some considerable scrutiny by federal antitrust regulators and lawmakers.
Under the partnership deal, Microsoft's technology will power Yahoo's search engine, while Yahoo will sell ads on behalf of both companies.
Shortly after the deal was announced, the two companies went on a full-court press, sending out separate letters to major ad agencies and advertisers. One was entitled 'Benefits to Consumers, Customers and the Internet.'
But it's just the opening gambit in what could be a long chess match. In the few hours after the deal was announced, Sen. Herb Kohl (D., Wis.), chairman of the Senate Judiciary Antitrust Committee, said it warrants 'careful scrutiny' since it would combine 'industry giants and direct competitors in Internet advertising and search markets.' He promised the deal would be 'closely reviewed' by his committee.
A Federal Trade Commission spokesman declined to comment. A Justice Department spokeswoman said the agency is 'aware of' the deal but declined to comment further.
Consumer groups weren't as reticent, saying the deal could lead to less choice for consumers and more tracking of their online activities. 'There are questions that must be answered regarding the collection and sharing of consumer data by the two companies,' said Jeff Chester, founder of the Center for Digital Democracy, a Washington nonprofit focused on privacy issues.
The companies are confident that the deal will be approved, Yahoo General Counsel Michael Callahan and Microsoft General Counsel Brad Smith said in a joint interview. They argued that the deal shouldn't be seen as reducing the number of players in Internet search from three to two but rather as helping both companies better compete in online advertising with Google.
The combination is 'really the only way to ensure' that there is 'going to be a competitive long-term alternative to Google in paid search,' Callahan said.
【中文譯文】
看來，微軟(Microsoft)和雅虎(Yahoo)已經讓對方相信，把雙方的搜索和廣告業務結合起來是好事一樁。不過，它們是否能讓反壟斷監管機構相信這樁交易對市場有好處呢？或許能吧，不過這要經過聯邦反壟斷監管機構和國會議員們相當嚴格的審查之後才行。
根據雙方的合作協議，微軟將爲雅虎搜索引擎提供技術，而雅虎將爲兩家公司銷售廣告。
在交易宣佈之後不久，兩家公司就開始了“全場緊迫盯人”的戰術，分別向主要廣告經紀公司和廣告商致函。其中一封的標題是：爲消費者、客戶和互聯網之益。
不過，這只是一場可能持續很長時間的棋局的第一招。交易宣佈幾個小時後，參議院司法委員會下屬反壟斷委員會主席科爾(Herb Kohl)說，由於這樁交易將把“互聯網廣告和搜索市場上的業內巨頭和直接競爭對手”合起來，需要進行“認真審查”。他承諾，委員會將“密切審議”這樁交易。
聯邦貿易委員(Federal Trade Commission)發言人拒絕置評。美國司法部(Justice Department)發言人說，知道這樁交易，不過拒絕進一步置評。
消費者團體卻沒有這麼沉默，他們說交易可能會造成消費者選擇減少，對其在線活動的跟蹤增多。華盛頓從事隱私權問題研究的非營利機構數位民主中心(Center for Digital Democracy)創始人切斯特(Jeff Chester)說，有關兩家公司採集和分享消費者數據的一些問題必須得到解答。
雅虎首席法律顧問卡拉漢(Michael Callahan)和微軟首席法律顧問史密斯(Brad Smith)在聯合接受採訪時說，微軟和雅虎相信，交易將獲得批准。他們說，交易不應該被視爲把互聯網搜索業務中的公司從三家減少到了兩家，而是幫助兩家公司更好地在在線廣告方面與谷歌(Google)競爭。
卡拉漢說，合作真的是唯一確保在付費搜索領域存在一個可以與谷歌長期競爭的對手的方法。
