In December, Google spent a whopping $700 million to resolve states’ claims that its Play Store had strong-armed app makers into high fees and tough terms. About six weeks later, Google shelled out $350 million to settle a lawsuit accusing it of improperly sharing users’ private information. Early this week, a Massachusetts company called Singular Computing announced that it had resolved its lawsuit with Google over allegations that the tech giant had stolen its chip designs. Singular stated in a news release that it had reached a settlement and patent license agreement with Google.
These settlements mark the fourth legal resolution in three months for Google as it works to clear the decks for potentially damaging court battles that could reshape the internet industry as a whole. This includes two federal suits filed by the Department of Justice targeting Google’s search engine and advertising business. One suit accuses Google of manipulating the search market through preferential deals with phone manufacturers like Apple and Samsung. Scheduled to go to trial in September, another lawsuit alleges that Google stifled competition in the ad tech industry. Google has maintained its innocence in both cases, arguing that its search engine encourages online competition and its ad technology has benefited publishers and other online businesses.
In addition to these federal cases, Google is currently appealing a jury verdict against it in a lawsuit brought by Epic Games, the developer of Fortnite. Epic claimed that Google hindered competition for app makers through high fees and strict rules. Google may be ordered to accept more payment methods and app stores on Android devices as a result of this trial. Moreover, Google recently settled a patent dispute with Singular Computing involving the company’s chip designs. Singular had sought $1.67 billion in damages, but the details of the financial settlement remain confidential.
In yet another case, Google agreed to let app makers offer their own billing systems and app stores on Android devices as part of a $700 million settlement with attorneys general from all 50 states. This settlement allows Google to continue charging large companies fees regardless of how consumers pay, though app makers do receive a discount for processing their own transactions. Google’s recent legal battles highlight the increasing regulatory and legal risks faced by big technology firms; settling cases early may be a strategic move to avoid prolonged litigation and uncertainty.
While Google has faced significant legal challenges in recent months, the company remains committed to defending its practices and industry. Google maintains that it only settles cases when it makes sense to do so, to avoid costly and protracted legal battles. However, the outcome of ongoing and future litigation could have profound implications for Google’s business operations and the overall tech industry.
