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rms race with Apple, Microsoft and other rivals maneuvering to gain more control over smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices. Google announced the deal six months ago. The deal will "enhance competition and offer consumers faster innovation, greater choice and wonderful user experiences," Don Harrison, Google's deputy general counsel wrote in a blog post, http://www.cheaptomsshoessalei.com - cheap toms shoes . Besides signing off on the Motorola Mobility deal, the Justice Department also approved two other moves in the mobile patent battles. The approvals cover the $4.5 billion purchase of Nortel Networks patents by a group including Apple, http://www.cheaptomsshoessalei.com - toms shoes sale , Microsoft and BlackBerry maker Research in Motion Ltd. and a separate Apple acquisition of Novell Inc. patents. The Justice Department ended its investigations after concluding the new patent owners won't try to drive up the prices of competing mobile devices by demanding exorbitant licensing fees. The agency said it was particularly concerned about key patents held by Motorola Mobility and Nortel. Apple Inc. and Microsoft promised to license the Nortel patents on reasonable terms while Google's commitments on the Motorola Mobility patents were "more ambiguous," according to a statement from the Justice Department's antitrust division. Nevertheless, the Justice Department didn't find any evidence that Google's ownership of Motorola Mobility would lessen competition in a mobile device market that is becoming increasingly important as more people connect to the Internet on smartphones and tablet computers instead of desktop and laptop computers. In granting its approval, the European Union also raised concerns about Motorola's aggressive enforcement of its patents, http://www.natehoward.com/blog/2011/01/a-man-ice-skates-in-three-fram.html#comments - http://www.natehoward.com/blog/2011/01/a-man-ice-skates-in-three-fram.html#comments . EU Competition Commissioner Joaquin Almunia said regulators will "keep a close eye on the behavior of all market players in the sector, particularly the increasingly strategic use of patents." In its statement, the Justice Department also vowed to crack down on any sign that mobile patents are being used to throttle competition. Microsoft said it was encouraged by the regulatory commitments. Other key concerns centered on Google's Android operating system, free software that now powers more than 250 million mobile devices made by a variety of manufacturers, http://bbs.hunjia360.com/ - http://bbs.hunjia360.com/ , including Motorola Mobility. Competition could be hurt if Google gives Motorola Mobility the most advanced versions of Android or withholds the mobile software from other cellphone makers. Google, though, has pledged to make Android available to all its mobile partners. Even if Google were to discriminate, cellphone makers still could rely on mobile software from Microsoft Corp, http://imaxgear.com/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=995002 - http://imaxgear.com/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=995002 ., Research in Motion and Hewlett-Packard Co., among others, http://www.cheaptomsshoessalei.com - toms outlet . The European regulators see no danger that Google will prevent other device makers from using its popular Android operating system after the takeover. "Android helps to drive the spread of Google's other services," the Commission said. "Given that Google's core business model is to push its online and mobile services and software to the widest possible audience, it is unlikely that Go
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