By Foo Yun Chee
Brussels (Reuters)-A record-EU antitrust fine of 4.3 billion-euro ($ 4.5 billion) imposed Google punished the technology giant seven years ago about his innovation, the alphabet unit told the European Top court on Tuesday, because the judges Early to delete to delete to scrap the EU decision.
The appeal of Google to the Court of Justice of the European Union, based in Luxembourg, comes two years after a lower tribunal has chosen the side of the European Commission, said that the company used its Android Mobile control system to destroy rivals.
The lower court reduced the fine to 4.1 billion euros.
“Google does not dispute or shy away its responsibility under the law, but the committee also has a responsibility when the investigation carries out when it wants to reform markets and second-Gues pro-competitive business models, and when the multi-billion imposes fines, fines, “Google lawyer Alfonso Lamadrid told the court.
“In this case, the committee failed to discharge its burden and its responsibility and, to rely on multiple legislative errors, google punished for his superior merits, attractiveness and innovation,” he said.
Lamadrid defended the similarities of Google that telephone manufacturers forced to install Google search, the Chrome-Browser and the Google Play App Store on their Android devices in advance and prevented them from using rival Android systems.
EU Antitrust enforcers had said that such requirements thwarted competition.
Lamadrid argued that “these agreements and conditions did not limit competition, they have promoted it.”
Judges will rule in the coming months. Their decision would be final and cannot be demonstrated on appeal. Google is currently in the EU crossshairs about its lucrative advertising activities, about which there is probably a decision this year.
The case is C -738/22 P – Google and Alphabet against Commission.
($ 1 = 0.9533 euros)
(Reporting by Foo Yun Chee; adaptation by Bernadette Baum; adaptation by Bernadette Baum)