China’s Ministry of Information Industries (MII) has completed aninvestigation into Google Inc.’s usage of an Internet license thatbelongs to a Chinese company, a ministry spokesman confirmedWednesday.
MII plans to announce the results of the investigation, but no datehas been set. “We don’t know when that will happen,” the spokesmansaid.
Google’s recently launched Google.cn search engine, which hasattracted criticism in the U.S. for censoring search results, hasbeen using an Internet content provider license (ICP) that belongsto a Chinese company. That company has been using the same licensefor its own Web site, Ganji.com.
Sources familiar with Ganji.com said the company has a closebusiness and financial relationship with Google.
Google’s usage of the ICP owned by Ganji.com’s parent company isnot exceptional. Under existing regulations, foreign Internetcompanies cannot apply for ICP licenses, which are required for Websites in China. As a result, foreign companies must partner with alocal company, which can provide the license necessary for theforeign company’s Web site.
Google executives were not immediately available to comment.