Intellectual Property Law

Google Releases Complete Google Voice App FCC Response

By nate

Today, recognizing pending FOIA requests by EFF and Wired News, Google dropped its claim of confidentiality and paved the way for the FCC to release the full text of its explanation of Apple's rejection of the Google Voice iPhone app. As we've reported previously, the FCC is investigating Apple's rejection of the Google Voice iPhone app from Apple's iPhone App Store. The regulators sought to find out from Apple, Google and AT&T why the app was rejected, who was behind the rejection and if the carrier had exerted any pressure on Apple.

Last month, the three parties responded to the FCC's questions. AT&T and Apple responded publicly, with AT&T denying any involvement and Apple maintaining that it "has not rejected the Google Voice application, and continues to study it." However, Google's public response left blank the answer to the question, what did Apple tell Google about the reasons for its decision to reject Google Voice? EFF and Wired News each submitted formal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests to the FCC requesting that the FCC release the full, unredacted version of Google's response.

In the letter made public today, Google directly contradicted Apple's claim that it did not reject the Google Voice app. In fact, says Google, Phil Schiller, Apple's Sr. Vice President of Worldwide Product Marketing, told Google's Alan Eustace of Apple's decision to reject the app on July 7. In an unusual public statement, Apple reiterated that it has not rejected the Google Voice app and continues discussion with Google.

Fuller analysis of Google's response appears at Wired's Epicenter, Ars Technica, TechCrunch and a number of other outlets.

Full post as published by Electronic Freedom Foundation - Deep Links on September 18, 2009 (boomark / email).