Levinson quits as Google board member

Levinson has been helping lead Google for the past five years

Google has lost one of its most high-profile board members in an apparent move to quell regulators' fears that the web giant is colluding with Apple.

Former Genentech chairman Arthur Levinson joined the boards of Apple in 2000 and Google in 2004, and his double responsibilities are thought to be why the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has continued to investigate links between the two companies.

In August, the FTC commended the decision by Google chief executive Eric Schmidt to step down from the Apple board, after expressing concerns that shared directorships between the two firms raises competitive issues, as Google and Apple increasingly compete with each other.

The concerns were heightened when Google started making phone software.

The FTC's Bureau of Competition said when Schmidt stepped down that it would continue to investigate the remaining interlocking directorates between the companies.

In a statement Schmidt described Levinson as a good friend and valued colleague.

"Art has been a key part of Google's success these past five years, offering unvarnished advice and vital counsel on every big issue and opportunity Google has faced," he said. "Though he leaves as a member of our board, Art will always have a special place at Google."

In related news, Google will release its third-quarter results this Thursday and the firm's shares jumped today as investors said that they expect the results to be positive.

Google saw its first drop in revenue in the first quarter of this year, but Schmidt said recently that the worst of the recession had passed.