Corporate | 18 May 2005 11:04

United Internet AG: Federal Cartel Office approves comprehensive alliance betw

Corporate-news transmitted by DGAP. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. —————————————————————————— Further important hurdle taken following contract signing: Federal Cartel Office approves comprehensive alliance between United Internet and WEB.DE Montabaur, May 18, 2005. The German Federal Cartel Office yesterday announced its unconditional approval of the United Internet Group”s takeover of WEB.DE AG”s internet portal business and the planned comprehensive alliance between the two companies. The approval represents a further important step on the path toward establishing one of Germany”s leading supplier on the internet services and portal market. United Internet AG and WEB.DE AG already announced the signing of contracts for the alliance last Friday in an ad-hoc statement. The transfer of WEB.DE AG”s portal business to the United Internet Group, with all employees, technologies, assets as well as trademarks and licenses, is still subject to the usual approval from the Supervisory Board committees of both companies. The transaction will also have to be approved by the annual shareholders” meeting of WEB.DE AG, which will be held on July 7 in Karlsruhe. The contracts are expected to be closed during the third quarter of 2005. As expected, the Federal Cartel Office did not judge any of the prohibition conditions to have been fulfilled by the planned alliance. The decision will be published under: http://www.bundeskartellamt.de . Contact partner: Marcus Schaps United Internet AG Press spokesman Phone: +49 2602/96-1076 Fax: +49 2602/96-1013 E-mail: mschaps@united-internet.de End of announcement (c)DGAP 18.05.2005 —————————————————————————— WKN: 508903; ISIN: DE0005089031; Index: TecDAX Listed: Geregelter Markt in Frankfurt (Prime Standard); Freiverkehr in Berlin- Bremen, Düsseldorf, Hamburg, Hannover, München und Stuttgart 181104 Mai 05