Supreme Court Issues Notice To Google India On Indian App Developers' Plea Against Play Store Billing Policy
1 year, 1 month ago

Supreme Court Issues Notice To Google India On Indian App Developers' Plea Against Play Store Billing Policy

Live Law  

The Supreme Court on February 2 issued notice on a petition to Google India on petitions filed by filed by tech start-ups challenging Google Play Store's billing policy as exploitative. However, a bench comprising Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, and Justices Manoj Misra and Satish Chandra Sharma refused to immediately stay Google's decision to remove apps from its Play Store over non-compliance with its billing policies. The petitioners, including Arha Media and Broadcasting, Mebigo Labs, and Crescere Technologies, have filed special leave petitions challenging the Madras High Court's August 3 verdict dismissing their challenge against the billing policy on grounds of maintainability under the Competition Act. During the hearing, Senior counsel Mukul Rohatgi and Balbir Singh, representing the aggrieved app developers and startups, contended that the high court's jurisdiction is not barred by the Competition Act since the allegation was not over an abuse of dominant position, but one-sided and unconscionable terms and conditions set by the US tech major.

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History of this topic

Google asks US appeals court to overturn app store verdict
1 month, 2 weeks ago

Google asks US appeals court to overturn app store verdict

The Hindu  

Lawyers for Alphabet's Google and "Fortnite" maker Epic Games squared off before a U.S. appeals court in California on Monday, as Google tries to undo a jury verdict and a judge's order forcing it to revamp its app store. U.S. District Judge James Donato ordered Google in October to restore competition by allowing users to download rival app stores within …

Google makes its appeal to overturn jury verdict branding the Play Store as illegal monopoly
1 month, 2 weeks ago

Google makes its appeal to overturn jury verdict branding the Play Store as illegal monopoly

Associated Press  

SAN FRANCISCO — Google went to appeals court Monday in an attempt to convince a three-judge panel to overturn a jury’s verdict declaring its app store for Android smartphones as an illegal monopoly and block the penalties imposed by a federal judge to stop the misbehavior. In a nearly hour-long presentation in San Francisco’s Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, Google …

Supreme Court relief to online gaming companies on GST issue
2 months, 1 week ago

Supreme Court relief to online gaming companies on GST issue

New Indian Express  

NEW DELHI: In a major relief to online gaming companies, the Supreme Court on Friday put a stay on GST show-cause notices amounting to Rs 1.12 lakh crore against these companies. As per lawyer Abhishek Rastogi, this stay not only provides immediate respite to gaming companies from potential coercive action but also safeguards the interests of revenue authorities. “By pausing …

Proceeding against Google temporarily paused by Mumbai court in defamation case
2 months, 2 weeks ago

Proceeding against Google temporarily paused by Mumbai court in defamation case

India Today  

While granting interim relief to Google, the Mumbai Sessions court on Thursday stayed the proceedings initiated against it by a Magistrate court in Mumbai. Tech giant Google had filed a criminal revision application in the Mumbai Sessions Court challenging an order issued by the Ballard Pier Magistrate court. In the sessions court, advocates Aabad Ponda and Changez Keswani appearing for …

India's Competition Commission starts new probe into Google's app store policies following Winzo’s complaint
3 months, 3 weeks ago

India's Competition Commission starts new probe into Google's app store policies following Winzo’s complaint

Firstpost  

Winzo’s claims that Google, through its Play Store, imposes unreasonable terms on app developers via its Developer Distribution Agreement and Developer Program Policies. These policies create a one-sided relationship that limit developers’ ability to operate fairly in the market This investigation is not Google’s first brush with India’s competition watchdog. The probe centres around allegations that Google’s app store policies …

CCI orders probe into Google’s game download policy for alleged dominance abuse
3 months, 3 weeks ago

CCI orders probe into Google’s game download policy for alleged dominance abuse

Live Mint  

New Delhi: Competition Commission of India on Thursday ordered an investigation into Google's policies on download of apps from Google Play, its app store, and on Google denied the allegations in its response to CCI’s queries, the order issued by the competition watchdog showed. The mobile gaming platform alleged that Google Play, which hosts third-party app developers, restricts download of …

Judge delays order in antitrust case requiring Google to open up its app store
5 months ago

Judge delays order in antitrust case requiring Google to open up its app store

LA Times  

A panel of judges will be given time to consider Google’s appeal of the 2023 trial focused on antitrust claims lodged by video game maker Epic Games. A federal judge on Friday delayed an order requiring Google to open up its Android app store to more competition until an appeals court decides whether to block the shake-up because of legal …

Judge delays order in antitrust case requiring Google to open up its app store
5 months ago

Judge delays order in antitrust case requiring Google to open up its app store

The Independent  

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Federal judge orders Google to open its Android app store to competition
5 months, 1 week ago

Federal judge orders Google to open its Android app store to competition

The Independent  

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Android mobile ecosystem case: Supreme Court to hear pleas of Google, CCI in September
8 months ago

Android mobile ecosystem case: Supreme Court to hear pleas of Google, CCI in September

The Hindu  

The Supreme Court Thursday said it will hear in the second week of September the cross-pleas of Google and the Competition Commission of India challenging a verdict of an appellate tribunal in a case related to the tech giant's alleged anti-competitive practices in the Android mobile device matter. On March 29 last year, the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal had …

Judge weighs proposed changes to Google’s Android app store to prevent anticompetitive tactics
9 months, 3 weeks ago

Judge weighs proposed changes to Google’s Android app store to prevent anticompetitive tactics

Associated Press  

SAN FRANCISCO — Google is tried to confront the latest in a succession of legal attacks on its digital empire on Thursday as federal judge began to address anticompetitive practices in the app market for smartphones powered by its Android software. The San Francisco court hearing before U.S. District Judge James Donato comes five months after a nine-person jury decided …

CCI Orders Probe Into Google's Play Store Policies: Here's What The Company Said
1 year ago

CCI Orders Probe Into Google's Play Store Policies: Here's What The Company Said

News 18  

The Competition Commission of India on Friday ordered a probe into the Google Play Store, accusing the tech giant of exploiting its dominant position in the country’s online market. The CCI said that Google allegedly imposed unfair terms and discriminatory practices in its Play Store, violating several provisions of the country’s anti-trust law. The CCI decision came after multiple Indian …

Probe into Google's Alleged Anti-Competitive Practices Regarding Play Store Pricing
1 year ago

Probe into Google's Alleged Anti-Competitive Practices Regarding Play Store Pricing

Deccan Chronicle  

NEW DELHI: The competition watchdog on Friday ordered a probe against Google for alleged anti-competitive practices with respect to its Play Store pricing policy. “The informants are primarily aggrieved with Google's updated payment policies in relation to its proprietary app store -- Google Play Store -- which is alleged to be in violation of the competition law,” said the Competition …

Competition watchdog orders probe against Google for Playstore pricing policy. What's the issue?
1 year ago

Competition watchdog orders probe against Google for Playstore pricing policy. What's the issue?

Hindustan Times  

The competition regulator ordered an investigation against Google on Friday for suspected anti-competitive practices regarding its pricing policy on the Play Store. Google under scrutiny for alleged discriminatory payment policies on Play Store The Competition Commission of India said that the informants were primarily concerned about Google's revised payment policies related to its proprietary app store, Google Play Store, which …

Google reinstates Indian apps, will require payment of dues
1 year ago

Google reinstates Indian apps, will require payment of dues

The Hindu  

Google is reinstating dozens of apps that were delisted by the company on March 1 for resisting the firm’s platform fees on in-app payments, the tech company said in a statement on March 5. “In the spirit of cooperation, we are temporarily reinstating the apps of the developers with appeals pending in the Supreme Court,” a Google spokesperson said, referring …

Indian startups caught in crosshairs as Google raises compliance heat
1 year ago

Indian startups caught in crosshairs as Google raises compliance heat

New Indian Express  

India’s tech startups and new-age firms seem to have a compliance problem. The latest Google Play Store episode reveals that some startup promoters believe regulations can be bent and rules broken. Google temporarily removed 10 app developers from its Play Store for not complying with its updated payment policy. Google’s action came after some startups moved the Supreme Court challenging …

Centre stern after Google's action on Indian apps: ‘Delisting can’t be permitted'
1 year ago

Centre stern after Google's action on Indian apps: ‘Delisting can’t be permitted'

Hindustan Times  

Union telecom minister Ashwini Vaishnaw took a strong stance for the Indian startups in the middle of the row with Google, saying that the delisting of the apps from the Google Play Store “is not permitted”. Google has taken down several apps from Play Store in India Google's parent company Alphabet Inc sent a notice to 10 companies for the …

Google mulls removing apps by 10 companies in India for not paying service fee
1 year ago

Google mulls removing apps by 10 companies in India for not paying service fee

Hindustan Times  

Alphabet Inc's Google will enforce action against the apps of 10 companies for not paying a service fee for the usage of its app store platform in India, including potentially de-listing their apps, the tech giant said on Friday. Companies including Walt Disney and Tinder-owner Match have previously sued Google over its policy of imposing a "service fee" of 11%-26% …

Why did Google take action against 10 Indian developers? Here's all you need to know
1 year ago

Why did Google take action against 10 Indian developers? Here's all you need to know

India TV News  

Google has announced that it will remove some Indian apps from its Play Store. “After giving these developers more than three years to prepare, including three weeks after the Supreme Court’s order, we are taking necessary steps to ensure our policies are applied consistently across the ecosystem, as we do for any form of policy violation globally,” Google wrote in …

PhonePe launches app store to take on Google’s Play Store
1 year ago

PhonePe launches app store to take on Google’s Play Store

Hindustan Times  

Walmart-backed Indian fintech PhonePe on Wednesday launched its app store for Android called Indus Appstore, becoming the first Indian rival to Google’s Play Store. The company is in conversation with multiple phone manufacturers so that the app store can come pre-loaded on different Android cellphones, founder and PhonePe CEO Sameer Nigam said at the launch event in Delhi. “We are …

Google-CCI case: Supreme Court to begin hearing in the matter 30 April
1 year, 1 month ago

Google-CCI case: Supreme Court to begin hearing in the matter 30 April

Live Mint  

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday said it would commence hearing on 30 April in Google's challenge to the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal's decision upholding the ₹1,338 crore fine levied by the Competition Commission of India against Google for antitrust breaches. Representing Google, senior lawyer Harish Salve noted that the case introduces new legal questions for the court's …

Apple may have just lost big at the Supreme Court
1 year, 2 months ago

Apple may have just lost big at the Supreme Court

LA Times  

The Supreme Court declined to take up Apple’s appeal of lower-court rulings that found some of Apple’s app store rules for apps purchased on more than 1 billion iPhones constitute unfair competition under California law. The Supreme Court on Tuesday allowed a court order to take effect that could loosen Apple’s grip on its lucrative iPhone app store, potentially siphoning …

Google to pay $700 million in case over whether its app store is an illegal monopoly
1 year, 3 months ago

Google to pay $700 million in case over whether its app store is an illegal monopoly

NPR  

Google to pay $700 million in case over whether its app store is an illegal monopoly Enlarge this image toggle caption Jeff Chiu/AP Jeff Chiu/AP Google has agreed to pay $700 million and will make changes to its app store it has resisted for years in order to resolve a an antitrust lawsuit brought by state attorneys general, the company …

Supreme Court To Consider Online Gaming Companies' Plea Against 28% GST In January 2024
1 year, 3 months ago

Supreme Court To Consider Online Gaming Companies' Plea Against 28% GST In January 2024

Live Law  

The Supreme Courton Friday posted a batch of writ petitions filed by online gaming companies, including Dream 11, Games 24x7, and Head Digital Works, challenging the constitutional validity of imposition of a 28% GST, to January 8, 2024.A bench comprising Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice Manoj Misra refused to pass interim order in favour. …

Google's and Apple's walled gardens will survive Epic’s court win
1 year, 3 months ago

Google's and Apple's walled gardens will survive Epic’s court win

Live Mint  

A San Francisco jury took less than four hours to decide on Monday that Google was running an illegal monopoly designed to exact huge fees from app developers. Epic, which sued both Google parent Alphabet Inc and Apple in 2020, was being kicked out of Google’s Play Store and Apple’s App Store for attempting to circumvent these app stores’ required …

Does the Epic v. Google ruling spell the beginning of the end for Google?
1 year, 3 months ago

Does the Epic v. Google ruling spell the beginning of the end for Google?

Slate  

Two years after losing out in an antitrust case meant to puncture Apple’s dominance of the smartphone-app marketplace, the video game juggernaut Epic Games has finally notched a historic victory—one worthy of its name—against a different Big Tech giant. Epic Games’ attorneys, who simultaneously filed lawsuits against Apple and Google back in 2020, had lodged similar accusations against both companies, …

Google’s App Store Ruled an Illegal Monopoly, as a Jury Sides With Epic Games
55 years, 2 months ago

Google’s App Store Ruled an Illegal Monopoly, as a Jury Sides With Epic Games

Wired  

Epic says in an unsigned blog post that the “verdict is a win for all app developers and consumers around the world. It proves that Google’s app store practices are illegal and they abuse their monopoly to extract exorbitant fees, stifle competition and reduce innovation.” It called on regulators and legislators to take action to “address Apple and Google strangleholds …

Google Play Store Trial: Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai Admits To 'Automatically' Not Retaining Documents
1 year, 4 months ago

Google Play Store Trial: Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai Admits To 'Automatically' Not Retaining Documents

ABP News  

In a federal court session on Tuesday, Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai admitted to occasionally designating documents as "privileged" and maintaining a setting that caused internal conversations to automatically delete after one day. Pichai's appearance in a San Francisco court was part of Alphabet's Google defence against a lawsuit by Epic Games, alleging that the app store policies constitute an unlawful …

Google CEO Sundar Pichai returns to court to defend internet company for second time in two weeks
1 year, 4 months ago

Google CEO Sundar Pichai returns to court to defend internet company for second time in two weeks

Associated Press  

Google CEO Sundar Pichai on Tuesday was summoned to federal court for the second time in two weeks to testify in an antitrust trial threatening to topple a pillar of an internet empire that he helped build. A key part of Google’s defense against that allegations that its Play Store is running an illegal monopoly on Android apps hinges on …

Google reaches tentative settlement in U.S. Play Store lawsuit
1 year, 6 months ago

Google reaches tentative settlement in U.S. Play Store lawsuit

The Hindu  

Alphabet's Google on Tuesday tentatively settled a class action suit alleging that its U.S. In the action brought by more than 30 U.S. states and representing 21 million consumers, the plaintiffs had claimed that consumers might have spent less on apps and had more options if it weren't for Google's alleged monopoly. Google is facing similar lawsuits which allege that …

Google says court order on Disney app fee in India temporary
1 year, 8 months ago

Google says court order on Disney app fee in India temporary

The Hindu  

Google said on Wednesday an Indian court's directive ordering the company to charge a lower 4% in-app payment on Disney's streaming service in the country was a temporary measure until the court proceedings play out. Disney in India has gone to court in what is the latest and most high-profile challenge to Google's policy of imposing a "service fee" of …

Google-CCI Case: Cross-Pleas To Be Heard By SC In October In Android Mobile Device Case
1 year, 8 months ago

Google-CCI Case: Cross-Pleas To Be Heard By SC In October In Android Mobile Device Case

ABP News  

The Supreme Court on Friday said it will hear on October 10 the cross-pleas of Google and the Competition Commission of India challenging the verdict of an appellate tribunal in a case related to Google's alleged anti-competitive practices in the Android mobile device case. On March 29, the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal had handed out a mixed verdict on …

Google asks India's top court to quash Android antitrust directives
1 year, 8 months ago

Google asks India's top court to quash Android antitrust directives

The Hindu  

Google has urged India's Supreme Court to quash antitrust directives against it for abuse of the Android market, two sources said, as its presses its legal battle against the competition watchdog in one of its most important markets. The Indian tribunal had ruled authorities must prove harm caused by anti-competitive behaviour "but did not apply this requirement" to several of …

Firms resist Google’s fees on in-app purchases, as non-compliance deadline looms
1 year, 9 months ago

Firms resist Google’s fees on in-app purchases, as non-compliance deadline looms

The Hindu  

Dating and matrimonial apps, OTT streaming apps and ed-tech platforms have come together to pressure Google into removing or vastly reducing commissions the search giant charges for in-app purchases on Android smartphones. Last October, the Competition Commission of India ordered Google, among other things, to “not restrict app developers from using any third-party billing/payment processing services, either for in-app purchases …

Indian Government plans action against Google after antitrust breaches
1 year, 10 months ago

Indian Government plans action against Google after antitrust breaches

The Hindu  

India's government plans to take action against Alphabet Inc.'s Google after an antitrust watchdog last year found the group to have abused its market position by indulging in anti-competitive practices, a top IT minister told Reuters. India's antitrust body in October fined Google $275 million in two cases, which involved abusing its dominant position in the Android operating system market, …

Play Store policy breaches to face action
1 year, 10 months ago

Play Store policy breaches to face action

Live Mint  

Google Inc. is set to initiate strict action against Indian apps that fail to comply with its billing policies on Play Store. The announcement follows the controversy over its Play Store policies which led to the Competition Commission of India directing the tech behemoth to allow third-party payment systems for apps on the Play Store. Android apps disseminated via the …

Google Faces CCI Inquiry Over Alleged Non-Compliance With Play Store Billing Order
1 year, 10 months ago

Google Faces CCI Inquiry Over Alleged Non-Compliance With Play Store Billing Order

News 18  

The Competition Commission of India on Friday ordered an inquiry into the alleged non-compliance by Google related to the CCI order regarding the Play Store user choice billing policy. The order was in response to the Alliance of Digital India Foundation submission with the Indian market regulator on Google not complying with the CCI directions and introducing user choice billing …

Google Pay Penalty Competition Commission of India Android Case
1 year, 10 months ago

Google Pay Penalty Competition Commission of India Android Case

ABP News  

In probably the first case of a Big Tech giant paying a penalty to the Indian regulators as the government aims to bring a new Digital India Act, Google has paid the entire penalty amount of Rs 1,337.76 crore imposed by the Competition Commission of India for anti-competitive practice in the Android ecosystem, the media has reported. To recall, the …

Google billing policy: Tech giant moves Delhi HC against single judge order
1 year, 10 months ago

Google billing policy: Tech giant moves Delhi HC against single judge order

Hindustan Times  

Google on Tuesday moved the Delhi high court challenging the single judge’s direction to the Competition Commission of India to decide the applications filed by the Alliance of Digital India Foundation against the tech giant’s new user-choice billing policy. A clutch of pleas by ADIF, an industry body of startups, had sought direction to Google to keep its proposed User …

Google Moves Delhi High Court Challenging Single Judge Order Directing CCI To Consider Applications Of Start-Ups Against New Payment Policy
1 year, 10 months ago

Google Moves Delhi High Court Challenging Single Judge Order Directing CCI To Consider Applications Of Start-Ups Against New Payment Policy

Live Law  

Google has moved the Delhi High Court challenging an order of the single judge directing the Competition Commission of India to take up the applications moved by an alliance of start-ups against tech giant’s new in-app user choice billing policy and consider the same on or before April 26. Senior Advocate Sandeep Sethi appearing for Google mentioned the appeal before …

Decide plea against Google’s new billing policy by April 26, Delhi HC orders CCI
1 year, 10 months ago

Decide plea against Google’s new billing policy by April 26, Delhi HC orders CCI

Hindustan Times  

NEW DELHI: The Delhi high court on Monday told the Competition Commission of India to decide a complaint filed by Alliance of Digital India Foundation, an industry body of Indian startups, against Google’s new user-choice billing policy and decide the same by April 26. ADIF contends that the UCB was a cloaked version of the GPBS, which projects the hoax …

Shark Tank judge Anupam Mittal calls Google ‘Digital East India company’
1 year, 10 months ago

Shark Tank judge Anupam Mittal calls Google ‘Digital East India company’

Live Mint  

Shark Tank India judge and Shadi.com founder Anupam Mittal on Thursday hit out at Alphabet-owned Google for its ‘illegal’ choice billing system and even went to the extent of calling the company ‘Digital East India company.’ The billionaire investor said that Google is working in disregard to Indian laws and he hopes that the Prime Minister's Office official is taking …

Indian startups go to court to stop Google’s new in-app billing system
1 year, 11 months ago

Indian startups go to court to stop Google’s new in-app billing system

Live Mint  

A group of Indian startups has asked a court to suspend Alphabet Inc Google's new in-app billing fee system until the country's antitrust body investigates the U.S. firm for alleged non-compliance with its directives, a legal filing showed. The Alliance of Digital India Foundation last month asked India's antitrust regulator to investigate Google for devising a new system startups say …

Indian startups go to court to stop Google's new in-app billing system
1 year, 11 months ago

Indian startups go to court to stop Google's new in-app billing system

The Hindu  

A group of Indian startups has asked a court to suspend Alphabet Inc. Google's new in-app billing fee system until the country's antitrust body investigates the U.S. firm for alleged non-compliance with its directives, a legal filing showed. The Alliance of Digital India Foundation last month asked India's antitrust regulator to investigate Google for devising a new system startups say …

Startups go to court to stop Google’s new in-app billing system
1 year, 11 months ago

Startups go to court to stop Google’s new in-app billing system

Live Mint  

A group of Indian startups has asked a court to suspend Alphabet Inc Google's new in-app billing fee system until the country's antitrust body investigates the U.S. firm for alleged non-compliance with its directives, a legal filing showed. The Alliance of Digital India Foundation last month asked India's antitrust regulator to investigate Google for devising a new system startups say …

NCLAT upholds penalty on Google; sets aside certain directions issued by CCI
1 year, 11 months ago

NCLAT upholds penalty on Google; sets aside certain directions issued by CCI

The Hindu  

The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal on Wednesday upheld the ₹1,337 crore fine imposed on Google by the Competition Commission of India. While holding that the CCI investigation did not violate principles of natural justice, the tribunal set aside certain directions issued by the CCI. The court quashed the directions relating to the non-monetary directives that would have forced the …

NCLAT reserves verdict on Google's plea against CCI
2 years ago

NCLAT reserves verdict on Google's plea against CCI

Hindustan Times  

The NCLAT on Monday concluded its hearing over the petition filed by Google, in which the tech giant challenged the Competition Commission's order imposing a ₹1,337.76 crore penalty for anti-competitive practices in relation to Android mobile devices. Challenging the CCI order, Google said the findings are "patently erroneous and ignore" the reality of competition in India, Google's pro-competitive business model, …

ADIF Accuses Google Of Disobeying CCI Orders And Charging App Developers Unfair Commissions
2 years ago

ADIF Accuses Google Of Disobeying CCI Orders And Charging App Developers Unfair Commissions

News 18  

The Alliance of Digital India Foundation on Thursday said Google is blatantly disobeying CCI orders and charging app developers an exorbitant 11-26 per cent commission even if they opt for alternative billing system. “Google has recently changed its billing requirement for app developers wherein it has mentioned that if a user pays through an alternate billing system, the Google plays …

Google Antitrust Case: Android phones in India only need to pre-load Google Play Store, shows leaked terms
2 years ago

Google Antitrust Case: Android phones in India only need to pre-load Google Play Store, shows leaked terms

Firstpost  

Thanks to Google’s antitrust ruling by the CCI, the Android operating system will see a massive change in how it presents itself to audiences, show leaked terms. Earlier this year, India upheld a judgement that was intended to sever Google’s grip over Android, focusing primarily on the applications Google compelled its partners to install, as well as the company’s control …

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