Amazon alleges some TV distributors are usually not partnering over concern of retaliation from Google • TechCrunch

Amazon says over half a dozen {hardware} distributors have indicated that they can’t enter right into a TV manufacturing relationship with the e-commerce group over concern of retaliation from Google.

The revelation, formally shared for the primary time by Amazon, was made by an Amazon India unit to the nation’s antitrust watchdog as a part of a years-long investigation into Google over claims that it abuses the dominant place in Android. The watchdog discovered that Google did abuse its dominant place in Android and slapped a $162 million positive on Thursday.

As a part of the investigation, the Competitors Fee of India interviewed a number of business gamers together with Samsung, Microsoft and Mozilla. However no one spoke fairly so freely as Amazon, a fast evaluation of the 293-page order confirmed.

Right here’s CCI sharing what Amazon informed them:

Amazon has explored working with cell OEMs/ODMs/CMs who additionally manufacture non-mobile good media units, corresponding to good TVs, to allow these producers to distribute non-mobile good media units (together with good TVs) operating the Fireplace OS (e.g., Fireplace TV Version (FTVE) for good TVs). In these discussions with OEMs, not less than seven OEMs have indicated that their potential to enter into a producing relationship of this sort with Amazon is both blocked totally or considerably restricted (e.g., by way of geographic scope) by their contractual commitments to Google and the priority that Google would retaliate in opposition to one other of the OEM’s companies that produce Android units.

Amazon informed the competitors regulator that in “a number of circumstances” the OEM has indicated that it can not work with Amazon “regardless of a professed need to take action in reference to good TVs.” In some circumstances, Amazon mentioned even when the producers agreed to not work on Android-powered good TVs, they nonetheless had considerations that by working with Amazon on Fireplace OS-powered TVs they could nonetheless be risking their GMS license from Google for different companies.

Moreover, companies together with Foxconn and Panasonic tried and didn’t receive permission from Google to work with Amazon, the e-commerce large mentioned.

“In others, the OEM has tried and didn’t receive ‘permission’ from Google. For instance, such discussions occurred with Skyworth, TPV (with respect to the Philips model), UMC (with respect to the Sharp model), Foxconn (with respect to the Sharp model), and Panasonic. Panasonic additionally shared considerations about doable retaliation by Google in opposition to its automotive and aviation companies if it proceeded with FTVE set up on good TVs,” the watchdog cited Amazon as saying.

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