Google's opening D.C. Circuit brief targets Judge Mehta's August 2024 monopoly ruling, contesting the Apple browser deal findings and a search-data-sharing remedy sought by DOJ.
Google LLC filed its opening brief with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit on May 22, 2026, asking the appellate court to reverse U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta's August 2024 finding that Google illegally maintained monopolies in general search and search text advertising [1]. The brief frames the district court's analysis as legally flawed at its foundation, targeting both the liability conclusion and the remedies order that flows from it [2].
The appeal arises from *United States v. Google LLC*, the Justice Department's landmark Sherman Act case tried before Judge Mehta in the District of Columbia. The district court entered its liability ruling in August 2024 after a bench trial, concluding that Google's agreements to serve as the default search engine on browsers, including Apple's Safari, unlawfully excluded rivals [1]. The DOJ has filed a cross-appeal seeking remedies more severe than those already ordered, including a potential divestiture of Google's Chrome browser [2].
Google's central argument on appeal is that the district court mischaracterized the Apple browser agreement as exclusionary conduct rather than legitimate competition for placement [1]. The company also contests provisions of the remedies order that would require it to share proprietary search data with artificial intelligence companies such as OpenAI, arguing that the order misapplies antitrust remedial principles and threatens core intellectual property [2]. Those two disputes, one over liability theory and one over remedy scope, define the main axes of the appellate fight.
The stakes are considerable. Observers have drawn comparisons to *United States v. Microsoft*, the last major federal antitrust appeal to restructure how a technology platform competes [1]. A ruling adverse to Google could force operational changes that reshape how AI companies access search infrastructure, with cascading effects on advertising revenue across Alphabet Inc.'s business lines [2]. Oral arguments are expected no earlier than late 2026, with a decision potentially extending into 2027 [1].
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