The auction on Google Inc's much-watched $3.3 billion initial public offering opened Friday despite the company saying a Playboy magazine interview with its founders may have violated securities rules.
In an amended offering document filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission just hours before the auction opened, the company did not indicate whether the latest twist would impede the deal, which has been beset by concerns over market conditions and a series of recent missteps.
Google's auction opened Friday morning at 9 am (1300 GMT) as expected, a person familiar with the auction confirmed.
The Web search company was not immediately available to provide more information.
Google has not disclosed when the auction will end, only that it will announce the price of the IPO next week. Experts said it remains unclear how the potential disclosures will affect the bidding.
In the filing with the SEC, Google said it does not believe its involvement in the Playboy article constitutes a violation of the "quiet period" rules, but it could be required to buy back the shares sold to investors in the IPO at the original purchase price for a period of one year following the violation.
Google, the Web's No 1 search engine, has filed to sell 25.7 million shares at an estimated price range of $108 to $135 per share in a Dutch auction.
In the auction, Google will take bids from hopeful investors, who will need to state how many shares they want to buy and at what price.