According to a report today fromCNN, Google is facing a fine which could be in excess of $500m after a federal investigation into pharmaceutical ads carried by the search firm. Prosecutors in Rhode Island and undercover agents from the Food and Drug Administration are said to be attempting to prove that Google knowingly carried ads for websites selling highly addictive drugs without a legitimate prescription. CNN goes on to report that in May, Google notified the Securities and Exchange Commission that it was setting aside $500m in connection to a case with the Department of Justice related to “The use of Google advertising by certain advertisers....

Google may be the subject of as many as nine antirust complaints investigated by the European Commission, ifsources close to Reuterscan be believed. The search giant is already under investigation in four cases by the Commission but according to sources, it will be hit with new complaints by small companies, including three cases from national regulators and two coming as fresh complaints: The two sources, which remain anonymous due to the sensitivity of the matter, said:...

It looks like Intel may be ready to play its hand in the InterDigital patent game, as Google appears to be losing interest. According toBloomberg. You’ll likely rememberback in Augustwhen we reported that Apple, Nokia and Samsung were all showing interest in the patents, but we also said that you couldn’t rule out Google. It appears, though, that Google’s interest is waning. InterDigital holds 8,800 patents, covering everything from the iPhone, Android devices and even Blackberry devices from RIM....

Google is reportedly working on adding another product to its Nexus range of devices, partnering with LG to deliver a new Honeycomb-powered tablet device which could be released in the Summer. According to industry insiderEldar Murtazin, a man famed for his ability to get information we could only dream of obtaining, Google will introduce a new version of it’s Honeycomb operating system when it launches its own-branded tablet in partnership with LG, making the software available to partners only when the Google-branded device has hit the market....

Update at foot of post: Google’s YouTube is said to be planning a movie subscription service, putting it in direct competition with offerings from Netflix and Amazon. According to a report from theNew York Post, the Google has set aside $100 million for content deals with movie studios and other premium content providers. Google is said to be planning a launch for the service in the UK and Europe, before expanding to the US....