Saturday, April 4, 2015

Consumers withdraw US lawsuit against Google over Android app limits

Tech News - The class action lawsuit, filed by two smartphone customers in May 2014, was dismissed on February 20 by US District Judge Beth Labson Freeman in San Jose, California.
             
The lawsuit argued that Google requires Android handset manufacturers such as Samsung Electronics Company Ltd  favor Google's apps such as YouTube and restrict competing apps like Microsoft Corporation's Bing search.
             
This illegally drives smartphone prices higher as rivals cannot compete for the "prime screen real estate" that Google's own apps enjoy, Gary Feitelson and Daniel McKee had alleged.
             
But Freeman said in February that the consumers had failed to show that higher prices stemmed from Google illegally forcing restrictive contracts on handset makers. The plaintiffs were told to amend their claims.
             
Google said on Friday that Android handsets could be used without Google, an argument it had presented in its court filings.
             
"Since Android's introduction, greater competition in smartphones has given consumers more choices at lower prices," Google spokesman Aaron Stein said in an email to media.

 

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