Three Hausfeld clients granted permission to intervene in EC's Google Android decision appeal

On 7 October, the General Court in Luxembourg granted three Hausfeld clients, French-based search engine Qwant, the Association of German Newspaper Publishers (BDZV) and the Federation of German Magazine Publishers (VDZ), permission to intervene in Google’s ongoing appeal of the European Commission’s July 2018 Google Android Decision.

The granting of such permission to intervene will allow Qwant, BDZV and VDZ to participate in the General Court’s proceedings and provide technical support to the European Commission in defending its 2018 Decision. Earlier in 2019, four Hausfeld clients had already been granted permission to intervene in the EC’s Google Search (Shopping) Decision Appeal.

The European Commission launched its investigation into Google’s mobile operating system Android in 2013. During the investigation, Hausfeld represented the formal complainant “Open Internet Project”, an association representing tech and media companies. As a result of its investigation, in 2018 the Commission found that Google has imposed illegal restrictions on Android device manufacturers and mobile network operators with a view to entrenching Google’s dominant position in internet search and advertising markets. In addition to a fine of €4.34 billion, Google was ordered to bring the abuse to an end, and refrain from any measure which would have the same or similar object or effect, within 90 days.

The granting of such permission to intervene in the General Court proceedings marks a further success for Hausfeld’s clients in the Commission’s Google investigations, and reinforces Hausfeld’s expertise in representing companies and associations in the European Courts, alongside our ongoing work for clients in their follow-on damage claims against Google in national courts throughout Europe.

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