Google seeks to bundle Gemini AI with core apps
What's the story
Google has defended its right to bundle its popular mapping and video apps with its Gemini AI service. The company's lawyer John Schmidtlein argued before Judge Amit Mehta that there is no evidence of Google having a monopoly or market power in the artificial intelligence space. He also said that neither Maps nor YouTube are monopoly products.
Judicial perspective
Judge Mehta's previous ruling on Google's monopolization
Judge Mehta had previously ruled that Google has monopolized search and search advertising. He is now working on a remedy to address the company's illegal conduct. Last month, he ruled that Google could no longer pay companies to exclusively use its Search, Chrome web browser or Google Play Store. However, he didn't ban all payments outright in his ruling.
Controversial tactics
Google's 'all-or-nothing' bundle requirement for device manufacturers
Witnesses in the trial testified that Google offers an "all-or-nothing" bundle to device manufacturers. This means they have to preload nearly a dozen of Google's apps if they want access to the Play Store, Android's largest app store. The requirement even forced Microsoft to feature Google search on its Surface Duo touchscreen device instead of its own search engine, Bing.
Legal debate
Justice Department's stance on Gemini bundling restrictions
The Justice Department has argued that the same restrictions imposed on Search, Chrome and Play should also apply to Google's Gemini. However, Google opposes this proposal. Schmidtlein argued at Wednesday's hearing that the AI industry is still evolving and Google shouldn't be prevented from using tactics similar to those of other market players. He compared Google's potential bundle of Gemini with YouTube and Maps to Microsoft's inclusion of its CoPilot AI in Office productivity software.
Judicial concerns
Concerns raised by Judge Mehta regarding potential market leverage
Despite Schmidtlein's arguments, Judge Mehta expressed concerns over allowing Google to force device makers into accepting Gemini if they want access to YouTube or Maps. He said this would allow Google to use its "leverage" in the market to better position its AI service. Cameron Gower, a lawyer for the Justice Department, urged Mehta to impose similar restrictions on Gemini as he had ruled for Chrome.