A Virginia federal judge ruled Friday that the U.S. Department of Justice‘s lawsuit accusing Google of monopolizing technology used to place ads on third-party websites will proceed to trial. The judge found too many factual disputes to dismiss the case, setting a trial date for September 9.
Google Trial Sep Date : Summary Judgment Denied
U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema denied Google’s motion for summary judgment, highlighting significant disputes over material facts, including the definition of the ad tech market. Google had argued that its conduct was not illegal, claiming it merely did not offer rivals the same access and features when working with its advertisers and publishers.
Google Trial Sep Date : DOJ’s Position and Google’s Response
The DOJ and its state attorney general partners argued that Google mischaracterized the lawsuit, which hinges on Google’s manipulation of advertising exchanges, not merely its duty to deal with rivals. This manipulation affects the split-second auctions pairing publishers with advertisers. Judge Brinkema declined to address these arguments directly, leaving room for Google to seek summary judgment again in the future.
