Apple's purchase of Shazam to get thumbs up by EU antitrust regulators?
Last December, Apple announced that it will buy music-naming app Shazam for a reported $400 million. The deal has yet to close because Apple has not received all of the regulatory approvals required. A new report published today cites a pair of sources as saying that European Union (EU) antitrust regulators will soon announce unconditional approval of the purchase.
Shazam, one of the first apps in the Apple App Store (the app launched in July, 2008), allows users to point their phone at a song to learn its title, the performer, the lyrics and more (see screenshot at the top of the story). The EU investigated the deal earlier this year, concerned that Apple would prevent app stores on competing operating systems (like Android) from having access to Shazam. Regulators also feared that once purchased by Apple, Shazam would refer those using the app to Apple Music only instead of including rival music streaming services.
The EU antitrust authority is expected to announce its final decision regarding the transaction on September 18th. The anonymous sources say that the regulators will give their approval without requiring any concessions on the part of Apple.
source: Reuters
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