SAN FRANCISCO — Online ratings firm Bazaarvoice Inc. has agreed to dissolve a 2012 merger to settle claims with the U.S. Department of Justice and address the concerns of a federal judge about the union’s potential anticompetitive effects.
Under the settlement, which was disclosed in court papers Thursday, Austin-based Bazaarvoice will divest all assets it gained through its acquisition of PowerReviews Inc., previously its main competitor. Bazaarvoice will pay the government more than $222,000 for the costs of litigation. It also agreed not to appeal an order from U.S. District Judge William Orrick III of the Northern District of California finding the merger would likely suppress competition in the market for online ratings and reviews.
