Electronic device owners using Google’s Android operating system sued Google and its parent, Alphabet Inc., alleging that the tech giant had an illegal monopoly over the Android apps market which it used to overcharge device owners who made purchases through the Google Play app store. Despite claims by Google that its Android operating system was maintained as “open” source software, the lawsuit alleges that Google engaged in a course of conduct, including restrictive contractual terms with device manufacturers and app developers, designed to deter competition in the market for Android “apps” and products sold within apps.
The class action comes on the heels of the United States’ landmark lawsuit against Google, also filed yesterday, accusing the company of having illegal monopolies in search and search advertising. The federal government’s suit was reportedly the culmination of a yearlong investigation into alleged anticompetitive practices at the company and the first such antitrust case in the tech world in decades.
“The Google Play Store is the dominant market that consumers use to purchase apps and use the Android ecosystem. The lawsuit seeks to hold Google accountable for taking advantage of its monopoly to overcharge its own customers,” said Mark Molumphy, a partner at Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy, LLP, who works on the team of attorneys on the case.
According to Elizabeth Castillo, another partner at Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy, LLP who works on the case, “The Play Store effectively functions as a gatekeeper for software distribution on all mobile devices with Android OS. As alleged, without the unlawful restraints imposed by Google, Class Members would not be paying supracompetitive prices.”
