Cause and effect is unclear, but surely Google investors were voicing approval for the FTC decision and the end of the 18-month investigation.

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But earlier this month, just days after the DoubleClick deal received regulatory approval, Google announced that Performics' search marketing department would be sold to an as-yet unidentified buyer.

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The tech world, including Google, won an approval-of-sorts to control its stream of commerce in 2010, when the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said licensing language controls resales.

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