Brussels plays the referee on online ad deal

"It seems unlikely that Google's planned $3.1 billion takeover of online advertising specialist DoubleClick is in for an easy ride in Europe. The European Commission announced yesterday that its stance toward the controversial deal - which is shot through with thorny competition issues - is unlikely to be announced before October 26. If on that date the Commission opts for a full review, Google and its intended breakfast will have to wait another four months for the final verdict. Lawyers assess that the October 26 judgement will rest on whether online advertising is seen as a discrete market or part of a broader landscape that includes print, television and radio". (source WARC, for more details read : Europe Leery About Google's DoubleClick Takeover)