The Supreme Court has announced that it will hear the cross-pleas of Google and the Competition Commission of India (CCI) on July 14. Both parties are challenging the verdict of the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) in a case related to Google’s anti-competitive practices in the Android mobile device market.
In March of this year, the NCLAT upheld the INR 1,338 crore ($180 million) penalty imposed on Google by the CCI. However, the tribunal set aside certain directions issued by the CCI, specifically those related to non-monetary directives that would have required Google to allow the uninstallation of its pre-installed apps on Android devices.
Both Google and the CCI approached the Supreme Court to challenge the NCLAT’s judgment. The hearing was adjourned to the following Friday as senior advocate Harish Salve, representing one of the parties, was unavailable.
Last year, the CCI fined Google INR 1,337.7 crore ($180 million) for abusing its dominant position in the Android devices market. Additionally, the tech giant was fined another INR 936 crore ($125 million) for its Play Store policies.
In its plea to the NCLAT, Google argued that the CCI failed to conduct an impartial and balanced investigation, disregarding evidence from Indian users, app developers, and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).
Since the CCI’s verdict last year, Google and the CCI have been involved in legal battles in multiple courts. Google has also accused the antitrust watchdog of favoring e-commerce giant Amazon, claiming that the CCI asked for changes to its business model to protect Amazon’s interests.
Apart from the ongoing antitrust case, Google is also facing a legal dispute with Indian startups over its user choice billing system.
The upcoming hearing at the Supreme Court will provide a platform for both Google and the CCI to present their arguments and seek a favorable ruling in this long-standing legal battle.
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