时事新闻:微软、雅虎交易面临反垄断战?

【英文原文】

Next Up for MicroHoo: An Antitrust Battle?

摘要：看来，微软(Microsoft)和雅虎(Yahoo)已经让对方相信，把双方的搜索和广告业务结合起来是好事一桩。不过，它们是否能让反垄断监管机构相信这桩交易对市场有好处呢？

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.

【中文译文】

看来，微软(Microsoft)和雅虎(Yahoo)已经让对方相信，把双方的搜索和广告业务结合起来是好事一桩。不过，它们是否能让反垄断监管机构相信这桩交易对市场有好处呢？或许能吧，不过这要经过联邦反垄断监管机构和国会议员们相当严格的审查之后才行。

根据双方的合作协议，微软将为雅虎搜索引擎提供技术，而雅虎将为两家公司销售广告。

在交易宣布之后不久，两家公司就开始了“全场紧迫盯人”的战术，分别向主要广告经纪公司和广告商致函。其中一封的标题是：为消费者、客户和互联网之益。

不过，这只是一场可能持续很长时间的棋局的第一招。交易宣布几个小时后，参议院司法委员会下属反垄断委员会主席科尔(Herb Kohl)说，由于这桩交易将把“互联网广告和搜索市场上的业内巨头和直接竞争对手”合起来，需要进行“认真审查”。他承诺，委员会将“密切审议”这桩交易。

联邦贸易委员(Federal Trade Commission)发言人拒绝置评。美国司法部(Justice Department)发言人说，知道这桩交易，不过拒绝进一步置评。

消费者团体却没有这么沉默，他们说交易可能会造成消费者选择减少，对其在线活动的跟踪增多。华盛顿从事隐私权问题研究的非营利机构数位民主中心(Center for Digital Democracy)创始人切斯特(Jeff Chester)说，有关两家公司采集和分享消费者数据的一些问题必须得到解答。

雅虎首席法律顾问卡拉汉(Michael Callahan)和微软首席法律顾问史密斯(Brad Smith)在联合接受采访时说，微软和雅虎相信，交易将获得批准。他们说，交易不应该被视为把互联网搜索业务中的公司从三家减少到了两家，而是帮助两家公司更好地在在线广告方面与谷歌(Google)竞争。

卡拉汉说，合作真的是唯一确保在付费搜索领域存在一个可以与谷歌长期竞争的对手的方法。