“A U.S. consumer lawsuit accusing Google of monopolizing prime real estate on Android smartphones will help mobile rivals like Microsoft make their antitrust case with European regulators should damaging secrets emerge in court,” Dan Levine reports for Reuters.
“The suit, filed in California federal court in May by two smartphone consumers, said Google requires handset manufacturers such as Samsung Electronics Co Ltd to restrict competing apps like Microsoft’s Bing search on Android phones, partly by making Google’s own apps the default,” Levine reports. “Google argued last week the proposed class action should be dismissed because consumers still are free to use the other apps. The plaintiffs counter that most consumers either don’t know how to switch default settings, or will not go to the trouble.”
“If a judge lets the lawsuit proceed, plaintiffs’ attorneys would be allowed to delve into internal Google emails and contracts with smartphone companies, and could interview Google executives under oath, said Steve Berman, who represents the consumers,” Levine reports. “Any damaging evidence from the class action would play into the hands of Google’s rivals. Microsoft spokesman Jack Evans said the company “is not a party” to the consumer lawsuit, but last year a group of companies – including Microsoft, Oracle, Nokia, Expedia, and TripAdvisor – filed a complaint with European antitrust regulators over some of the same issues in the U.S. lawsuit.”
Much more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: “Open.”
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Dan K.” for the heads up.]
