Google-Motorola's Antitrust Problems

Monday's announced Google-Motorola merger could open the search-engine giant to more antitrust scrutiny. Google is set to purchase smartphone manufacturer Motorola Mobility for $12.5 billion cash—the search giant’s biggest acquisition yet—in order to obtain patents it needs to continue its fights with Apple and Microsoft in the wireless market. Google paid a premium price for the company, which produces phones that run on its Android software; it will continue to run Android separately from Motorola Mobility. Many suspect Google will now be using a "vertical integration" strategy—which will have Google following Apple's model of combing software and hardware.