WASHINGTON (AP) - U.S. regulators have approved Google’s $12.5 billion acquisition of cellphone maker Motorola Mobility Holdings. Monday’s clearance comes just a few hours after antitrust regulators gave their blessing.
The Justice Department ended a six-month review of the deal after concluding it won’t stifle competition in the mobile device market. European regulators reached the same conclusion.
The regulatory green lights mean Google Inc. can take control of Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc. if it can win government approvals in China, Taiwan and Israel.
China looms as the biggest stumbling block, given Google’s shaky relationship with the government there.
Google Inc. prizes Motorola’s more than 17,000 patents _ a crucial weapon in an intellectual arms race with Apple, Microsoft and other rivals to gain more control over smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices.
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