In Austin, the Department of Justice has opened its case against online review powerhouse Bazaarvoice. At question is whether the firm’s acquisition of a competitor, PowerReviews, was a strategic move intended to snuff out its only true competition.

Quote from AdAge.com:

The DOJ filed its complaint against Bazaarvoice in January, which stated that “elimination of PowerReviews has significantly enhanced Bazaarvoice’s ability and incentive to obtain more favorable contract terms,” and cited several instances before the acquisition in which Bazaarvoice executives referred to PowerReviews as its primary direct competition. … Bazaarvoice said it was “surprised that the DOJ chose to base this case on a series of dated documents. … ‘During the litigation, we will focus on rectifying the DOJ’s inaccuracies.’…The company completed its $168.2 million acquisition of PowerReviews in June 2012. At the time, Bazaarvoice said the purchase increased its client base to 1,800.

Full Story: DOJ Case Against Bazaarvoice Ignores New Data Business (AdAge.com)