TECH NEWS – The judge denied the Cupertino-based company’s request because it came too late…
Google is said to be paying Apple $20 billion a year just to have the Alphabet search engine installed on its devices. This, of course, has been criticized by rivals. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella says the Apple-Google partnership has prevented rivals from competing on a level playing field. Apple has tried to intervene as a defendant in this multi-billion dollar alliance, but according to the latest information, the judge has denied the request, saying that the company filed its request too late.
U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta’s comment, as reported by Courthouse News Service, suggests that Apple knew full well that taking two and a half months to defend Google’s $20 billion deal would result in delays. The California-based giant has filed a motion in which it would present three additional witnesses as defendants. “Apple knew (or should have known) that waiting two and a half months to intervene in a trial that was scheduled to last only eight months in total would constitute a significant delay,” Judge Mehta wrote.
Apple filed its motion on December 23, just before Christmas. Mehta noted that there would be an obvious delay in taking further depositions, and Apple argued that the intervention was necessary to ensure that the judge had the full record necessary to issue a fair and effective remedy. Courthouse News Service also mentions that if the judge had granted Apple’s request, it would have given a big opening to other companies that benefit from Google’s search engine distribution agreements, which would have been extremely detrimental to both the Mountain View giant and the U.S. Department of Justice. Fortunately, the judge is allowing Apple to act as amicus curiae and file post-hearing briefs in the coming months to ensure that Apple’s views are considered in the development of the remedy.
Apple will certainly take advantage of the extra time, because it’s still $20 billion a year. The company’s senior vice president of services, Eddy Cue, has already mentioned that there is no alternative to Google search, implicitly confirming that the partnership between the two will continue as long as necessary. So they need the money.
Source: WCCFTech
Leave a Reply