• Bloomberg, Friday, December 2, 2011 12:07 PM

Another day, another (near) government approved Google acquisition. Sources tell Bloomberg that U.S. Justice Department staff attorneys have recommended the search giant’s $400 million acquisition of AdMeld for antitrust approval.

“The staff urged approval after a detailed analysis found that AdMeld’s competitors in online display advertising were strong enough to offer companies alternative ways to advertise,” Bloomberg writes. Senior department officials could still stand in the way of the acquisition’s finalization. AdMeld specializes in helping Web publishers increase revenue by managing display ads from hundreds of sources, including ad networks.

Meanwhile, as Bloomberg notes, the AdMeld recommendation differs from the department’s reservations about Google’s other would-be purchases, including that of Motorola Mobility and ITA Software. In the latter case, for example, “The department required oversight of Google’s actions before giving approval because government attorneys determined online travel agencies that used ITA’s software, which aggregates flight information, didn’t have many alternatives.”

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