Google Close to Deal on Patent Dispute

Deal with regulators would also shut down anti-trust investigation

Google is this week expected to escape the biggest anti-trust investigation for more than a decade by agreeing with US regulators to tweak the way it displays searches.

It is also reported to be ready to sign an agreement with the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) not to use its patents to stifle mobile competition. Europe's anti-trust chief is meeting Google's chairman, Eric Schmidt, as the European commission ponders similar action.

The FTC is expected to announce a deal this week after investigating since June 2011 whether Google has abused its dominant position in search, the lucrative core of its empire, by favouring its own products while disadvantaging rival companies or products.