Index Investing News
Thursday, May 29, 2025
No Result
View All Result
  • Login
  • Home
  • World
  • Investing
  • Financial
  • Economy
  • Markets
  • Stocks
  • Crypto
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Opinion
  • Home
  • World
  • Investing
  • Financial
  • Economy
  • Markets
  • Stocks
  • Crypto
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Opinion
No Result
View All Result
Index Investing News
No Result
View All Result

Google controls android devices through web of agreements: ASG Venkataraman tells NCLAT

by Index Investing News
March 13, 2023
in Financial
Reading Time: 4 mins read
A A
0
Home Financial
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter


Google enters into various agreements with all major OEMs to not only ensure that its Android OS is carried on a “crushing majority” of the OEMs’ smart mobile devices sold across India, but also to ensure that all of Google’s 11 money-generating applications–referred to as Core Applications by Google in its own agreements–is  preinstalled as a bundle on such devices, N Venkataraman, Additional Solicitor General (ASG) of India told NCLAT on Monday. 

In the resumed hearing in Android matter post Holi, Venkataraman, representing CCI, also said “Over and above, Google controls the pre-installation, placement and preferential treatment of its apps, and not only restricts competing apps and Android forks, but also requires OEMs to submit their devices for approval prior to their launch. Effectively, it is able to do this for almost the entire portfolio of OEMs’ devices who enter into agreements with Google”.

The ASG on Monday commenced substantive arguments against Google’s appeal against the Competition Commission’s order of October 20 last year.

Venkataraman highlighted that the conspectus of interdependent and interrelated agreements are also used by Google to coerce OEMs to render such 11 preinstalled core applications even more favourable in the eyes of users, thus creating ‘digital addiction’ in the minds of users who, over time, only identify with Google’s apps and services to the detriment of Google’s competitors. 

This behaviour bias and ‘status quo bias’ is induced in the minds of users by ensuring that the agreements also obligate OEMs to treat Google’s apps in a much more preferential manner than Google’s competitors. 

These obligations contained in various agreements (MADA, AFA/ACC and RSA)  must be read together to gauge the cumulative effect, he added.

The obligations are preinstallation of Google’s 11 core applications, premium placement of Google’s 11 core applications on the device’s home screen, which is the most ‘fertile’ and visited part of the device by users (thus, countering Google’s submission that competitors are free to preinstall their own apps on the device as well), ensuring that users cannot uninstall Google’s preinstalled core applications, unlike competing apps which can be uninstalled, ensuring that Google Search—which lies at the heart of Google’s revenue generating strategy—is also the exclusive and default search engine on OEM’s devices. 

Even where agreements permit OEMs to preinstall or allow the subsequent installation of apps/functionalities utilising competing search services, the agreements (RSA) obligate OEMs to ensure that such apps/functionalities are relegated to the third screen (Minus 2 and below), he added.

The ASG emphasised that by virtue of the RSA, OEMs are not permitted to introduce, present or even suggest in any manner any alternative search service to users. Furthermore, at least 4 instances in various agreements were highlighted where OEMs were required to take written permission of Google to even make the most basic decisions regarding their devices launch and operation.

Therefore, the ASG requested that Google’s selective reliance on ‘empty’ clauses and recitals contained in the agreements to show that Google does not intend to make its apps and services default or exclusive, or restrain OEMs from installing competing applications, is totally meaningless. The ASG went further and requested the Tribunal to strike out such empty clauses that camouflaged the true intent and import of the agreements.

The ASG also assailed Google’s argument that the agreements cannot be read together and must be read in isolation of one another. The ASG adverted to the obvious inter-dependence of the agreements:

The ASG also emphasised that Google’s competitors have no chance of surviving in a market where Google enters into this web of agreements with OEMs. In this context, the ASG highlighted that the Competition Commission also correctly pointed out the vast amount of monetary incentives offered by Google to OEMs to enter into RSAs and ensure that Google Search is set as the default and exclusive search service on all MADA Android devices. 

The ASG also highlighted the vast disparity between Google and its competitors in exercising leverage over OEMs regarding RSAs. As noted in the Competition Commission’s Order, while Google leverages its dominance in the market over OEMs to share merely 10 per cent of its search revenue with OEMs through RSA, its competitor Microsoft has to share as much as 90% of its search revenue in order to enter into similar arrangements, the ASG noted

The ASG also highlighted that Google had perpetuated a myth regarding Commission’s confusion over Portfolio-based RSAs vs. Device-based RSAs:

SHARE

  • Copy link
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Telegram
  • LinkedIn
  • WhatsApp
  • Reddit

Published on March 13, 2023





Source link

Tags: agreementsAndroidASGcontrolsDevicesGoogleNCLATtellsVenkataramanWeb
ShareTweetShareShare
Previous Post

Former RBI dy governor says pricing power of ‘Big 5’ driving core inflation

Next Post

The SVB Failure: Likely To Be Contained

Related Posts

Infosys shares up 2% as dividend deadline looms: Final probability at present to purchase inventory for Rs 22 per share payout

Infosys shares up 2% as dividend deadline looms: Final probability at present to purchase inventory for Rs 22 per share payout

by Index Investing News
May 29, 2025
0

Shares of Infosys Ltd rose as a lot as 2.3% to Rs 1,609 on Thursday, as traders scrambled to purchase...

Nvidia’s CEO blasted Trump coverage that can price the corporate .5 billion—then praised Trump’s ‘daring imaginative and prescient’ minutes later

Nvidia’s CEO blasted Trump coverage that can price the corporate $10.5 billion—then praised Trump’s ‘daring imaginative and prescient’ minutes later

by Index Investing News
May 29, 2025
0

© 2025 Fortune Media IP Restricted. All Rights Reserved. Use of this web site constitutes acceptance of our Phrases of...

Gen Merch Retailer Case Research

Gen Merch Retailer Case Research

by Index Investing News
May 28, 2025
0

Managing unmanifested, big-and-bulky buyer returns is a problem for even the most important retailers. Counting on a single purchaser could...

Bitcoin: This Investor Would By no means Purchase, However He Gave Golden Suggestions That Reinforce The Thesis

Bitcoin: This Investor Would By no means Purchase, However He Gave Golden Suggestions That Reinforce The Thesis

by Index Investing News
May 28, 2025
0

This text was written byComply withGreater than 5 years of expertise in fairness evaluation in LatAm. We offer our shoppers...

India’s development extra steady in FY26 and FY27 as China falters: EY report

India’s development extra steady in FY26 and FY27 as China falters: EY report

by Index Investing News
May 28, 2025
0

India's development is projected to be comparatively extra steady, at 6.2 per cent in FY26 and 6.3 per cent in...

Next Post
The SVB Failure: Likely To Be Contained

The SVB Failure: Likely To Be Contained

Mortgage rates tumble in the wake of bank failures

Mortgage rates tumble in the wake of bank failures

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

RECOMMENDED

Migrant workers who helped build modern China have scant or no pensions, and can’t retire

Migrant workers who helped build modern China have scant or no pensions, and can’t retire

March 29, 2024
Biden’s “Renters Bill of Rights” Is Here — Is Nationwide Rent Control Coming?

Biden’s “Renters Bill of Rights” Is Here — Is Nationwide Rent Control Coming?

January 28, 2023
Whatcha Waiting For? – Meb Faber Research

Whatcha Waiting For? – Meb Faber Research

November 11, 2023
What will the Fed signal about future rate rises?

What will the Fed signal about future rate rises?

October 30, 2022
Denmark invites Nord Stream operator to help salvage mystery object — RT World News

Denmark invites Nord Stream operator to help salvage mystery object — RT World News

March 24, 2023
DFUS: A Core Outperformer (Barely)

DFUS: A Core Outperformer (Barely)

July 21, 2024
West Ham make method for Brazilian gem

West Ham make method for Brazilian gem

August 21, 2022
“Irrebuttable” Gross sales Claims Entice Brokerages In Settlement Limbo

“Irrebuttable” Gross sales Claims Entice Brokerages In Settlement Limbo

July 19, 2024
Index Investing News

Get the latest news and follow the coverage of Investing, World News, Stocks, Market Analysis, Business & Financial News, and more from the top trusted sources.

  • 1717575246.7
  • Browse the latest news about investing and more
  • Contact us
  • Cookie Privacy Policy
  • Disclaimer
  • DMCA
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
  • xtw18387b488

Copyright © 2022 - Index Investing News.
Index Investing News is not responsible for the content of external sites.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • World
  • Investing
  • Financial
  • Economy
  • Markets
  • Stocks
  • Crypto
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Opinion

Copyright © 2022 - Index Investing News.
Index Investing News is not responsible for the content of external sites.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In