FairSearch.org, the coaltion spearheading opposition to Google's proposed acquisition of ITA Software, says it would be inadequate if the Department of Justice enters into a consent decree with Google ensuring that ITA Software clients get access to updates of the company's airfare shopping and pricing solution.
Following yesterday's reports that Google and the DOJ were negotiating such a deal in the hopes of avoiding litigation, FairSearch.org issued a statement saying the acquisition should be stopped.
Here's FairSearch.org's statement:
"Even If Google commits in a court order to license the best flight search technology, serious concerns would remain about the ability to administer and enforce such an order, and the potential for Google to circumvent it without detection. Moreover, such an order would not address other threatened harms from Google's proposed acquisition of ITA. For example, Google also could abuse its general search dominance to steer users to its own or favored flight search products and could take proprietary technology developed by ITA licensees that resides on ITA servers.
"The members of Fairsearch.org continue to believe that the best way to protect consumers and competition from these and other threats is for the DOJ to block the deal and require Google to expand its travel search offerings through a less harmful means."
The coalition is doing its best to keep the pressure on.
Members of FairSearch.org include Expedia Inc. companies Expedia.com, TripAdvisor and Hotwire; Sabre Holdings and affiliated businesses including Travelocity and Zuji; Microsoft; Kayak and sister company SideStep; Farelogix; Foundem; and Level.com.