The Department of Justice officially indicated Thursday that it “has opened an antitrust investigation” into the proposed settlement between Google and authors and publishers. “At this preliminary stage, the United States has reached no conclusions as to the merit of those concerns or more broadly what impact this settlement may have on competition,” deputy assistant attorney general William F. Cavanaugh said in a letter to the federal judge overseeing the settlement. Justice says they were spurred by “public comments expressing concern that aspects of the settlement may violate the Sherman Act.” In response, the Southern District of New York set […]