WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. regulators are near a settlement with Google Inc in a dispute over the search giant’s efforts to stop the sale of products it says infringe essential patents, according to two sources close to the probe.

But the Federal Trade Commission is not expected to reach a deal soon on the larger, more contentious issue of whether Google tweaks its search results to disadvantage rivals in travel, shopping and other specialized searches.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. regulators are investigating a number of companies in the mobile app marketplace for failing to protect children’s privacy or not disclosing what information is collected from users, the Federal Trade Commission said on Monday.

The agency made the disclosure in releasing a report that found the makers of mobile apps designed for children had frequently failed to adequately inform parents about what information was collected about their children.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. regulators are investigating a number of companies in the mobile app marketplace for failing to protect children’s privacy or not disclosing what information is collected from users, the Federal Trade Commission said on Monday.

The agency made the disclosure in releasing a report that found the makers of mobile apps designed for children had frequently failed to adequately inform parents about what information was collected about their children.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Critics of Google, fearing that an antitrust investigation into the search giant by the Federal Trade Commission will not produce a strong conclusion, may be ready to take their grievances next to the Justice Department.

At least one Google adversary met with Justice Department officials recently, pressing them to investigate, according to two sources with knowledge of the situation.

WASHINGTON, Dec 4 (Reuters) – A Republican law professor
nominated to the Federal Trade Commission said on Tuesday he
would recuse himself from the agency’s investigations into
Google for two years to avoid any possible conflicts of
interest.

The FTC is investigating Google for allegedly breaking
antitrust law, although the probe could well be done before
Joshua Wright is confirmed to the commission.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. senators will question nominees to the Federal Trade Commission and Federal Communications Commission on Tuesday in a confirmation hearing expected to touch on some of the most critical issues affecting high technology companies.

Economist and law school professor Joshua Wright has been nominated to the FTC as a Republican. The agency has been investigating search engine giant Google (GOOG.O: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) for months because of allegations it broke antitrust law, and is thought to be getting close to a decision.

WASHINGTON, Nov 27 (Reuters) – Federal regulators
investigating Google for a range of accusations of
antitrust violations took a stand this week on how to handle a
type of patent similar to ones in the Google case, but also
exposed a rift between regulators on how to proceed.

The disagreement focuses on whether the Federal Trade
Commission can use its power to enforce rules against unfair
competition in pursuing companies which ask for sales
injunctions against rivals because of allegations that their
so-called standard essential patents (SEP) have been infringed.

WASHINGTON, Nov 21 (Reuters) – Upstart Internet search
engine DuckDuckGo, which promotes itself as a Google Inc
rival which does not track users’ personal information,
says it is being hurt by the search giant which is being
investigated by U.S. regulators.

The Federal Trade Commission has been examining allegations
by Google critics that the company breaks antitrust laws by
using its power in the market to smother competitors.

WASHINGTON, Nov 19 (Reuters) – The U.S. International Trade
Commission will review a judge’s decision which found that Apple
did not violate patents owned by Samsung Electronics
in making the iPod touch, iPhone and iPad.

An administrative law judge at the ITC had said in a
preliminary ruling in September that Apple was innocent of
violating the patents. The ITC, which could have opted to simply
uphold the judge’s decision, said that it would take up the
matter. A final decision is expected in January.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Edwards Lifesciences LLC Corp won a round in a patent fight with Medtronic Inc’s CoreValve unit on Tuesday as a federal appeals court upheld a $74 million lower court judgment involving infringement of patented heart valve technology.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit said on Tuesday it was upholding a decision by a federal court in Delaware that Medtronic’s device infringed a patent owned by Edwards. The court awarded $74 million in lost profits and royalties.