Tuesday 10th September 2024
Judgment in Case C-48/22 P Google and Alphabet v Commission (Google Shopping)
(Competition – Dominant position)
By decision of June 27, 2017, the Commission found that Google had favoured, on its general search results page, the results of its own product comparator over those of competing product comparators.
Google presented the search results of its product comparator in the first position and highlighted them in the “Shopping Units” with attractive visual and textual information. In contrast, search results from competing product comparators only appeared in a lower position, as a blue link.
The Commission concluded that Google had abused its dominant position on the market for general Internet search services and on the market for specialised product search services, and imposed a fine of €2,424,495,000, for which Alphabet, as Google’s sole shareholder, was jointly and severally liable to pay €523,518,000.
Google and Alphabet challenged the Commission’s decision before the General Court of the European Union. By judgment of November 10, 2021 (T-612/17, see also press release No 197/21), the General Court dismissed the action and confirmed the fine.
However, the General Court found that it had not been established that Google’s practice had had even potential anti-competitive effects on the general search market. Consequently, it annulled the Commission’s decision insofar as it found an infringement of the prohibition on abuse of a dominant position also in relation to that market.
Google and Alphabet then appealed to the Court, asking the Court to set aside the judgment of the General Court in so far as it dismissed their appeal and to annul the Commission’s decision.
Background Documents C-48/22 P
Dienstag, 10. September 2024
Urteil des Gerichtshofs (Große Kammer) in der Rechtsmittelsache C-48/22 P Google und Alphabet / Kommission (Google Shopping)
Missbrauch marktbeherrschender Stellung – Vorzugsbehandlung des eigenen Preisvergleichsdienstes
Mit Beschluss vom 27. Juni 2017 „Google Search [Shopping]“ verhängte die Kommission gegen Google eine Geldbuße in Höhe von 2,42 Mrd. Euro, weil das Unternehmen seine marktbeherrschende Stellung als Suchmaschinenbetreiber missbraucht habe, indem es einem anderen Google-Produkt – seinem Preisvergleichsdienst – einen unrechtmäßigen Vorteil verschafft habe (siehe Pressemitteilung der Kommission IP/17/1784).
Gegen diesen Beschluss haben Google und Alphabet Klage beim Gericht der EU erhoben. Mit Urteil vom 10. November 2021 wies das Gericht die Klage im Wesentlichen ab und bestätigte die gegen Google verhängte Geldbuße (siehe Pressemitteilung Nr. 197/21).
Google und Alphabet verfolgen ihr Anliegen weiter im Wege eines Rechtsmittels gegen das Urteil des Gerichts vor dem Gerichtshof.
Generalanwältin Kokott hat in ihren Schlussanträgen vom 11. Januar 2024 dem Gerichtshof vorgeschlagen, das Rechtsmittel zurückzuweisen und somit die gegen Google verhängte Geldbuße zu bestätigen (siehe Pressemitteilung Nr. 4/24).
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