Google requests a judge to dismiss antitrust charges in an app store dispute

Google (GOOGL.O), the search and advertising giant owned by Alphabet Inc., requested a court late on Thursday to throw out several allegations that Epic, Match, and several U.S. state attorneys general made about Google's handling of its Android app store.

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With its latest antitrust motion, Google has decided to end the costly and time-consuming antitrust lawsuits against it. Additionally, the Justice Department has filed a lawsuit seeking to dismiss claims in a 2020 antitrust lawsuit brought by the company that has been filed in a Washington federal court. It has also asked a federal court in Virginia to dismiss a complaint that was filed this year by the federal government on behalf of the company. 

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With the filing of its motion for partial summary judgment, Google noted that it is eager to prove itself at trial and defend the innovations that have made Android successful; it will also bring a "focused motion for partial summary judgment, which will narrow this sprawling antitrust case for trial."

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There are five claims Google has asked to be thrown out in a court filing it made on Thursday in federal court in California.

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Among the requests made by the company to the court was that it dismiss claims that Google prohibited other app stores from distributing their apps, and in this way, violated the law. According to Google, it is not obligated by law to include other app stores in Android, however, most Android phones come with more than one app store pre-installed and can be tailored to install other app stores if desired.

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Aside from that, it also asked the court to toss out allegations related to Project Hug, under which Google paid game developers to keep their games on Google's Play Store rather than allowing them to release them on their own. Google reiterated its argument that alternate app stores are not prohibited by the terms of the agreement between game developers.

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Aside from this, Google argued that the revenue-sharing agreements with wireless carriers expired over four years ago and that the statute of limitations did not apply to them.