Google urges EU top court to back ruling scrapping $1.7 billion antitrust fine

By Foo Yun Chee

LUXEMBOURG, July 15 (Reuters) - Alphabet portion Google connected Wednesday urged Europe's apical tribunal to disregard EU antitrust regulators' entreaty ‌against a little tribunal ruling that scrapped a €1.49 cardinal ($1.7 billion) fine, saying ‌the regulators' arguments were flawed.

The quality reached the Court of Justice of the European Union ​after regulators appealed a 2024 General Court ruling that annulled the good imposed connected Google successful 2019. The little tribunal cited errors successful the European Commission's appraisal of the case.

The Commission, the EU's contention watchdog, said Google utilized restrictive clauses successful ‌contracts with publishers that prevented ⁠rivals from placing hunt advertisements connected the publishers' websites, reinforcing Google's dominance successful online hunt advertising.

The Commission said the practices ⁠ran from 2006 to 2016. Google, whose AdSense level provides hunt advertising, removed the contested clauses from steadfast agreements successful 2016.

Google's lawyer, Josh Holmes, rejected the Commission's ​arguments.

"The Commission's ​new arguments are flawed. The General Court's ​reasons are wide and complete," ‌he told the sheet of 5 judges.

Holmes said the Commission had ignored grounds showing Google's rivals had important opportunities to compete.

Commission lawyer Anthony Dawes criticised the little court's ruling, saying it imposed an unprecedented work connected regulators to analyse issues already settled by lawsuit law.

"This uncovering turns lawsuit instrumentality connected its head," ‌he said, adding that the little court's reasoning ​would efficaciously dainty exclusive clauses arsenic lawful ​by default.

A tribunal advisor is owed ​to contented a non-binding sentiment connected November 12, with a ‌final ruling expected successful the pursuing ​months.

The AdSense good ​was 1 of 4 EU antitrust penalties that person outgo Google €9.5 cardinal during its astir two-decade quality with the Commission. The little court's determination ​to annul the good ‌marked a uncommon ineligible setback for the EU watchdog.

The lawsuit is ​C-826/24 P Commission v Google and Alphabet (Google AdSense)

($1 = 0.8771 euros)

(Reporting by ​Foo Yun Chee. Editing by Mark Potter)