Merger delayed: A routine antitrust review has delayed Apple Computer's pending acquisition of iconoclastic clonemaker Power Computing's Macintosh operations, Power's corporate counsel told the Associated Press on Wednedsay.
Apple agreed in September to a US$100 million stock swap to acquire Power Computing's license for the Macintosh operating system and customer database, effectively eliminating the clone market. The move came after interim CEO Steve Jobs took the hard line on OS licensing and accused clonemakers of cutting into Apple's profit margins.
The Justice Department has requested a sheaf of documents from the company, some with little relation to the planned acquisition, corporate counsel John Teets told the AP. The company indicated that federal investigators may be seeking documents to support its antitrust case against Microsoft.
- - -
ScandinaviaSearch: In its first move into Europe, regional guide provider CitySearch has formed a partnership with one of Scandinavia's largest media companies to bring its Web-based regional guide services to Sweden, Norway, and Denmark.
CitySearch said today it had joined with Schibsted ASA - publishers of Aftonbladet, Sweden's largest newspaper - Norway's two largest papers, and a string of TV stations and film-production holdings.
Of greater relevance is Schibsted's co-ownership of Scandinavia Online, Norway's largest Web-based online service, which reaches two-thirds of Norway's Internet households. Scandinavia Online is now expanding into Sweden and Denmark.
Using the CitySearch model of creating original, grassroots-produced content instead of using repurposed material, Scandinavia Online will operate the region's CitySearch sites in cooperation with local content partners in each city, with material produced in native languages.
- - -
Buying cable buddies: Another sign surfaced that Microsoft Corp. is still trying to buy pals in the cable-television industry. According to published reports citing unnamed industry executives, Microsoft is in talks with two of the largest US cable operators, Time Warner Inc. and US West Inc., to create a high-speed cable service. The New York Times reported that the software-maker is close to an agreement to buy a 6 percent stake in US West's cable operations.
Just a few weeks ago, similar talk arose about Microsoft and cable big Tele-Communications Inc. The Times suggested the TCI deal has foundered because Microsoft didn't like the idea of teaming up with a big investor in potential rival @Home Networks.
The Times said talks between Microsoft and US West were moving quickly and Microsoft hoped to announce a deal before the Western Cable Convention, an industry trade show in early December. In June, in a similar deal, Microsoft agreed to pay $1 billion for an 11.5 percent stake in another big cable company, Comcast Corp. (5.Nov.97)
- - -
