SAN FRANCISCO — After losing its bid to hang onto the rival it bought last year, Bazaarvoice is fighting to make sure it does not wind up in worse shape than it was before the ill-fated acquisition.
U.S. District Judge William Orrick III sided with the government in January that Bazaarvoice’s purchase of PowerReviews was likely to suppress competition in the market for online ratings and reviews. Riding on their victory, government lawyers proposed that Bazaarvoice should be forced not only to divest PowerReviews but to take other steps to ensure that the new company will be competitive. They called for Austin-based Bazaarvoice to license its technology to the new company if it does not have enough customers and waive trade secret restrictions for employees who cross over, among other provisions.
