SEC Might Want To Cool Off After Reading About Google In Playboy

from the yes,-they-read-it-for-the-articles dept

Poor Google. They've made such an effort to remain ridiculously quiet during the "quiet period" to avoid any IPO delays, but now it's looking like the thought of being in the same pages as naked women may have gotten to them. The latest issue of Playboy apparently has an interview with Google's co-founders that some believe may make the SEC impose a "cooling off" period (I won't even go there...) before they'll allow the IPO to proceed. This is, of course, the same thing that happened to Salesforce.com, that had a huge NY Times interview with its founder come out days before the expected IPO. The SEC made them push that IPO off a month. Considering the weak state of the IPO market these days, this might not actually be a bad thing, though I'm sure Google was hoping to get the process over with as quickly as possible, to get rid of all this negative press and detailed attention surrounding the IPO. Of course, it does make you wonder... what happens to the auction process? Since the bidding is set to close any minute now, if the IPO gets put off a month, will they let people change their bids? Over the next month, plenty could happen that might make people change how they feel about Google and what they might be willing to pay. Update: Looks like the SEC cooled off pretty quickly, and the IPO is set to go off tomorrow.
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  • identicon
    joking, 12 Aug 2004 @ 4:43pm

    you are joking about the quiet period, right?

    The google quiet period has probably had the most press, news stories and rumors of any "quiet period" out there.


    It is not surprising that there is a playboy interview. Standard procedure for google is to ignore all rules and laws and steam roll your way through. Witness: infringed on googles.com, froogles.com, gmail.com trademarks, overture patent without bothering to do any due diligence - why bother, they are google and rule the internet how they see fit.


    Don't like it? We will make you invisible!

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      Mike (profile), 12 Aug 2004 @ 5:46pm

      Re: you are joking about the quiet period, right?

      Er.. the quiet period doesn't refer to press coverage, but public statements by the company concerning their financial situation. It really doesn't matter how much press, news stories and rumors there are... as long as the company doesn't say anything themselves.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

      • identicon
        Anonymous Coward, 12 Aug 2004 @ 7:55pm

        Re: you are joking about the quiet period, right?

        Besides this interview was taken in April, before they filed.

        link to this | view in chronology ]

        • icon
          Mike (profile), 12 Aug 2004 @ 9:42pm

          Re: you are joking about the quiet period, right?

          They did it right as they were filing, so it absolutely does matter. They knew they were filing, they knew when it would come out... That's a violation of the quiet period no matter how you look at it.

          link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    DV Henkel-Wallace, 12 Aug 2004 @ 5:13pm

    Amazing

    Mike, you managed to write up this article without linking to the playboy site? Even if the whole interview isn't online, surely an excuse for a gratuitous link would be welcome!

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    dragos, 13 Aug 2004 @ 2:46am

    No Subject Given

    According to Playboy the interview can be read in the September 04 issue - isn't this after the IPO stuff is finished? I doubt Page&Brin didnot take the timing into account.

    link to this | view in chronology ]


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