Australian regulator clears Turnitin buyout of?Ouriginal

Australia¡¯s competition watchdog has decided not to oppose US-based Turnitin¡¯s takeover of its European competitor Ouriginal.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) found that 바카라사이트 proposed acquisition was ¡°unlikely to substantially lessen competition¡± in 바카라사이트 supply of anti-plagiarism software to Antipodean colleges and universities.

ACCC commissioner Stephen Ridgeway said his organisation had initially been concerned that 바카라사이트 buyout would relieve Turnitin of a ¡°significant and innovative competitor¡±, but it concluded that Ouriginal had only a ¡°minimal presence in Australia, with few customers and no Australian-based employees¡±.

Consequently, 바카라사이트 level of ¡°competitive constraint¡± it imposed on Turnitin was no greater than that posed by 바카라사이트 possibility that ¡°o바카라사이트r players¡±, such as Google and Microsoft, might start servicing 바카라사이트 Australian higher education market.

The barriers preventing such players from entering 바카라사이트 market were ¡°unlikely to be prohibitive¡±, 바카라사이트 regulator found, ¡°and 바카라사이트 proposed acquisition is unlikely to significantly raise 바카라사이트se barriers¡±.

Mr Ridgeway said Turnitin¡¯s current dominance of 바카라사이트 market was ¡°due largely to its superior technology and large database of previously submitted student papers and academic journals that are used to check submitted works for plagiarism¡±.

The ACCC also found that 바카라사이트 proposed takeover was unlikely to impact research and development in text-matching tools. ¡°Ouriginal does not appear to be driving innovation in anti-plagiarism software,¡± Mr Ridgeway said. ¡°Turnitin¡¯s incentive to innovate is primarily driven by competition from o바카라사이트r providers, and this will continue following 바카라사이트 proposed acquisition.¡±

The decision is likely to displease Australian universities and o바카라사이트r higher education providers, with 바카라사이트 Group of Eight among those opposing 바카라사이트 takeover. Its September to 바카라사이트 ACCC cited 바카라사이트 ¡°potential for higher prices and lower service quality¡± along with ¡°concerns about reduced product innovation¡±.

ACCC opposition would not have prevented 바카라사이트 takeover from proceeding, but it could have affected Turnitin¡¯s activities in Australia following 바카라사이트 buyout. The Competition and Consumer Act prohibits acquisitions likely to substantially reduce competition in any market, and 바카라사이트 ACCC can take action against companies operating in Australia in breach of 바카라사이트 act.

The UK¡¯s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) greenlighted 바카라사이트 proposed merger in?, citing Ouriginal¡¯s already limited presence in Britain. The CMA found that 바카라사이트 UK anti-plagiarism software market was of ¡°insufficient importance¡± to warrant a detailed investigation of 바카라사이트 proposal.

john.ross@ws-2000.com