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Comment by tyingq | Hacker News Reader

If I'm reading it right, the restriction is that 3rd parties can't buy branded Amazon keywords like "Alexa". I imagine that might come back to bite them if that policy doesn't apply to other brands. They also have some brands that are problematic, because the brands have really generic names like "Ring".

And this just sounds really unwise: "Roku Inc., which makes devices that stream content to TVs, can’t even buy such Amazon ads tied to its own products"

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> And this just sounds really unwise: "Roku Inc., which makes devices that stream content to TVs, can’t even buy such Amazon ads tied to its own products"

To everyone wondering how it's an antitrust issue, I think this quote right here hit the nail on the head.

Edit: On the other hand, I just looked up Roku and it's all Roku devices, I guess as long as I don't see an Amazon product on that first page that's fine. It's still weird you can't buy ads for your own product's very name though.

I can't read the full article due to paywall unfortunately, but if they didn't do a more thorough investigation I think someone might just have to, to make sure Amazon's not putting their own ads where they don't allow competitors to buy ads for products they don't actually own themselves like Roku, if they aren't then maybe they're just trying to protect the results given back.

Interestingly, if you search "Smart Speaker" though it's wholly dominated by Alexa and Alexa-compatible devices.

"Smart Speaker Google" also lists just Amazon Echo devices.

"Google Speaker" just comes back with accessories, and then has a 'recommended product' which is the Echo Dot.

"Google Home" comes up with the echo dot as a recommended product...

Typing in "Google Home Hub" actually brings up the google home hub! Immediately followed by 5 alexa devices...

This is why I've essentially stopped using Amazon. I can't trust their search, I don't want in on Alexa ecosystem (No creepy always-on devices in house), and prices are better elsewhere or generally equal.

About the only saving grace of Amazon is shipping speed, but even then it's almost easier to pop over to a Target etc. So I always check local stores via their app.

I was worried last year about Amazon-geddon, but I think most other stores have caught on and upped their game.

Google is getting a taste of their own medicine in search. I wish shopify would do something to compete with integrated payments, returns, etc (Opt-in for sellers of course).

I just typed "Alexa" into Google search, and I got:

1. a shopping carousel entirely full of echo products (2nd card is on Amazon.com) 2. a paid ad from Amazon 3. several videos about echo products 4. q&a about Alexa rest of page: more Alexa related results

So, to your point, no, Google does not do anything like this.

It's funny cause I've looked up Android Tablets in the past and gotten Amazon's which I think is a little misleading since technically you're not getting Android proper. Not that their tablets aren't just as functional, but it might trip up someone who doesn't know any better.

> Not that their tablets aren't just as functional

Their tablets certainly aren’t as functional when it comes to the selection of apps available, unless you jump through weird, unsupported, highly fishy hoops to install Google Play on them.

Do you mean you're not getting pure AOSP Android or Google Play Android? Because you're certainly getting a device running the Android operating system...

The former is what most people want and expect when looking for Android.

I have no idea how you determine that. I suspect most have no idea what AOSP Android even looks like. Almost every manufacturer has a custom UI layer. AFAIK Google's Pixel phones and the Nokia Android One phones are the only ones offering something like a "stock AOSP + Google Play" experience.

Well I meant more in regards to Google Play being bundled, most people mostly care about Android + Google Play, whatever other customizations most people don't care as long as it doesn't get in their way.

There is no android proper. There’s google play services and the android os.

The fire tablet is using the android os

Can't read it either, but my first guess from the parent comment's quotes was that the story was saying competitors can't:

1. buy ads for amazon product-name keywords to compete with amazon by also selling amazon products.

2. buy ads for amazon product-name keywords to compete with amazon by selling one's own non-amazon products.

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