Thursday, July 19, 2012

Bazaarvoice Probed By DOJ In PowerReviews Buy

Austin-based BazaarVvice is in an investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice in a possible antitrust issue, according to details released in a Bazaarvoice regulatory filing, and first noticed by the ABJ. According to the filing, the Department of Justice, Antitrust Division notified the firm that it has opened a preliminary investigation to determine whether the company's recent acquisition of San Francisco-based PowerReviews violated Section 7 of the Clayton Act. PowerReviews was a competing provider of ratings and reviews software for e-commerce sites. No other details of the investigation were detailed, however, Bazaarvoice said if the DOJ determined the PowerReviews acquisition did violate those laws, it would be required to divest part or all of PowerReviews.