U.S. Accuses Google of Illegally Protecting Monopoly
A victory for the government could remake one of America’s most recognizable companies and the internet economy that it has helped define.
WASHINGTON — The Justice Department accused Google on Tuesday of illegally protecting its monopoly over search and search advertising, the government’s most significant challenge to a tech company’s market power in a generation and one that could reshape the way consumers use the internet.
In a much-anticipated lawsuit, the agency accused Google of locking up deals with giant partners like Apple and throttling competition through exclusive business contracts and agreements.
Google’s deals with Apple, mobile carriers and other handset makers to make its search engine the default option for users accounted for most of its dominant market share in search, the agency said, a figure that it put at around 80 percent.
“For many years,” the agency said in its 57-page complaint, “Google has used anticompetitive tactics to maintain and extend its monopolies in the markets for general search services, search advertising and general search text advertising — the cornerstones of its empire.”
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The Court has granted final approval to the Settlement, and the period for filing a notice of appeal has passed. Settlement Payments have been calculated in accordance with the terms of the Settlement Agreement and are currently being distributed to all eligible Claimants whose awards do not require the Settlement Administrator to issue tax documents to the IRS. For more information about the calculation of Settlement Payments, please review the FAQs page of this website.
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Overview
If, between May 20, 2010 and to May 7, 2018, you were an AdSense publisher, subject to the AdSense terms for the United States, American Samoa, Puerto Rico, the United States Minor Outlying Islands, the U.S. Virgin Islands, or Canada, and Google disabled or terminated your AdSense account, and withheld the unpaid amounts in your AdSense account in their entirety and permanently in connection with such disablement or termination, and the sum withheld totaled $10 or more, you may be entitled to benefits under a class action settlement.
Plaintiffs brought this class action lawsuit against Google Inc., as predecessor to Google LLC (“Google” or “Defendant”), and alleged that when Google terminated publishers’ AdSense accounts for alleged breach of contract, it improperly withheld unpaid amounts in those publishers’ AdSense accounts. Plaintiffs alleged that Google’s conduct, among other things, breached the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing. Google has at all times denied any and all alleged wrongdoing.
From Source: http://www.adsensepublishersettlement.com/
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ADDITIONAL SETTLEMENT CLASS MEMBER LEGAL RIGHTS AND OPTIONS | |
SUBMIT A CLAIM FORM DECEMBER 17, 2018 PASSED |
If you submitted a Valid Claim by December 17, 2018, you may receive a payment. You have also given up your rights to sue Google and/or any other released entities regarding the legal claims in this case. |
EXCLUDE YOURSELF FROM THE SETTLEMENT DECEMBER 17, 2018 PASSED |
This is the only option that allowed you to sue Google and/or other released parties on your own regarding the legal claims in this case. You will not receive a payment from the settlement. The deadline for additional Settlement Class Members to opt out was December 17, 2018. |
OBJECT TO THE SETTLEMENT DECEMBER 17, 2018 PASSED |
The deadline for additional Settlement Class Members to object was December 17, 2018. Any Objections will be shared with the Court. If you objected to the settlement, you are bound by the settlement’s terms and are not allowed to exclude yourself from the settlement; you lost the right to sue Google and/or any other released entities regarding the legal claims in this case. |
DO NOTHING | If you did nothing, you will not receive any payment. You have lost the right to sue Google and/or any other released entities regarding the legal claims in this case. |
SETTLEMENT CLASS MEMBER LEGAL RIGHTS AND OPTIONS | |
SUBMIT A CLAIM FORM SEPTEMBER 4, 2018 PASSED |
If you submitted a Valid Claim by September 4, 2018, you may receive a payment. You have also given up your rights to sue Google and/or any other released entities regarding the legal claims in this case. |
EXCLUDE YOURSELF FROM THE SETTLEMENT SEPTEMBER 4, 2018 PASSED |
This is the only option that allowed you to sue Google and/or other released parties on your own regarding the legal claims in this case. You will not receive a payment from the settlement. The deadline for excluding yourself was September 4, 2018. |
OBJECT TO THE SETTLEMENT SEPTEMBER 4, 2018 PASSED |
The deadline for objecting was September 4, 2018. Any Objections will be shared with the Court. If you objected to the settlement, you are bound by the settlement’s terms and are not allowed to exclude yourself from the settlement; you lost the right to sue Google and/or any other released entities regarding the legal claims in this case. |
DO NOTHING | If you did nothing, you will not receive any payment. You have lost the right to sue Google and/or any other released entities regarding the legal claims in this case. |
Notice
For more information about the Settlement, please download and read the Notice.
Court Documents
Learn more about the Settlement by downloading the documents below.
- Settlement Agreement
- Preliminary Approval Order
- Order Resetting Final Fairness Hearing
- Order Rescheduling Final Fairness Hearing
- Motion for Attorneys’ Fees
- Aulakh Declaration In Support Of Motion for Fees
- Barry Declaration In Support Of Motion for Fees
- Levetown Declaration In Support Of Motion for Fees
- Lopez Declaration In Support Of Motion for Fees
- Paris Declaration In Support Of Motion for Fees
- Re-notice of Motion for Attorneys’ Fees
- Order Granting Final Approval
- Final Judgment