The Department of Justice may be in the midst of a four month investigation into Google's monopoly threats, but authorities in Russia don't need as long for such pesky technicalities. Today, Russia's Federal Anti-monopoly Service (FAS) has blocked Google from taking a piece of Russia's thriving online advertising business.
In July, top-three Russian portal Rambler agreed to sell its Begun contextual advertising firm to Google for $140 million. The FAS today denied Google's bid on a technicality, saying Google had failed to provide all the information necessary to clarify the financial aspects of the deal.
It is unclear if Google will be permitted to resubmit its bid, because a source close to the deal says the Kremlin was unhappy with it and asked Rambler Media to cancel it.
The news comes as a blow to Google, who was forced this month to delay its ad partnership with Yahoo as the DoJ works out its own monopoly concerns with the partnership between America's number one and two search companies.
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