The European Commission has called a halt to its antitrust investigation of Google’s plans to acquire Motorola Mobility, pending access to certain documents about the merger.
The Commission has asked Google for more information about its planned $12.5 billion (€9.5 billion) deal to buy Motorola Mobility and has suspended its approval process until it has all the documentation it needs. The planned takeover would give Google access to more than 17,000 patents owned by Motorola Mobility.
Google confirmed that the Commission has asked for more information, saying that it is routine measure. The company is “confident the commission will conclude that this acquisition is good for competition and we’ll be working closely and cooperatively with them as they continue their review,” a spokeswoman said via email to BBC News.
While European approval of the deal is pending, as is US approval, Motorola Mobility still operates as a fully independent company.
The more than 17,000 patents will be a major asset for Google. Last Friday a regional court in Germany ruled in favour of a preliminary injunction against Apple products, as requested by Motorola Mobility.
The injunction allows Motorola Mobility to post a $134 million bond to implement a ban on sales of the iPhone and iPad 3G in Germany.
