14 businesses' appeals against Google's billing policy are rejected by the Madras High Court

 14 businesses' appeals against Google's billing policy are rejected by the Madras High Court

Startups assert that a tech company implemented a new billing mechanism to disobey an Indian Competition Commission ruling.

The Madras High Court dismissed 14 firms' applications against Google's in-app pricing strategy on Thursday, stating that the matter fell under the purview of the Competition Commission of India (CCI). These companies included the matching website Bharat Matrimony and the edtech company Unacademy.

Both the test preparation tool Testbook and the streaming provider Disney+ Hotstar have unresolved arguments against Google in court.

According to the court, the remedy provided under the Competition Act is more extensive than that accessible through a civil court. "The number of CCI is liable to be challenged in an appeal below the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal," it stated.

In April, the court issued a temporary injunction preventing Google from removing Matrimony.com Ltd, the parent business of Bharat Matrimony,'s mobile app from the Play Store.

The temporary ruling was made in response to a complaint against Google's policy made by Matrimony.com. Because it disagreed with the rules, the matching firm fought to prevent Google from deleting its app from the Play Store. Matrimony.com was given reprieve by the court until June 1.

In October of last year, the CCI fined Google Rs 936 crore and requested that it refrain from imposing restrictions on app developers' use of third-party billing systems. Additionally, the business was urged to refrain from imposing discriminatory rules.

Before the High Court, Indian entrepreneurs claimed that Google had created the User Choice Billing (UCB) scheme to disobey the CCI's directive. They requested that the court deem charges brought under the UCB to be unlawful.

The Competition Act itself offers appropriate civil and criminal remedies, the High Court said on Friday, if a CCI order is broken.

The statement read, "The current lawsuits brought by the first respondent/plaintiff (Matrimony.com) are prevented by Section 61 of the Competition Act."

Disney filed a lawsuit against Google's in-app pricing scheme in July. In court, the organisation that manages the Disney+ Hotstar streaming service in India said that Google had threatened to delete the app if it didn't adhere to the charging structure. The court ordered Google to accept a 4% service charge from Disney and instructed it not to delete the app from its store.