BRUSSELS — The European Union's competition office on Tuesday opened two antitrust cases against Motorola Mobility for possibly abusing its patents following complaints by two rivals, Microsoft and Apple.
And Joseph J. Simons, his newly appointed director of the competition office, faces a similar restriction on cases from his former firm, Clifford Chance Rogers & Wells.
The European Commission's competition office will scrutinize any attempt made by the German government to rescue the cash-short mobile phone operator Mobilcom, a commission spokeswoman said.
It recommended that the government increase the powers of the competition office, gradually raise the retirement age, wean wealthier citizens off family benefits, cut unemployment and other benefits, and improve efficiency in education and health care.
Last year when two drug firms, Novartis and AstraZeneca, sought to merge their agricultural businesses, the EU's competition office examined in minute detail all the many different markets in which the two firms operated.
In a long-awaited decision, Germany's federal competition office today blocked E.ON A.G., this country's second-largest electric company, from taking control of Ruhrgas A.G., the dominant distributor of natural gas.
Gina M. Talamona, a spokeswoman for the United States Justice Department, and Rob Levine, acting senior competition law officer in the criminal matters branch of Canada's Competition Bureau, confirmed that their offices were involved in the investigation, according to Bloomberg News.
Candidates recognize that competition for offices is now stiffer than ever, and they are willing to adopt new approaches to cultivate any advantage they can muster.
A federal judge ruled that competition for office supplies would be reduced if the largest office-supply chain combined with the second-largest, supporting the government's effort to stop the $6.3-billion 6.3-billion deal
