New Delhi/IBNS: Google has accused the Competition Commission of India (CCI) of copying parts of a European ruling against the U.S. firm for abusing the market dominance of its Android operating system, Reuters reported.
In October, the CCI fined Google $161 million for exploiting its dominant position in markets such as online search and the Android app store and asked it to do away with the restrictions on phone-makers pertaining to preinstalling apps.
Google has approached a court in India seeking to have CCIs order quashed.
Reports had said that Google was worried that the CCIs order was more sweeping that the European Commissions landmark 2018 ruling for imposing unlawful restrictions on Android device makers.
In this case, Google has challenged a record 4.1-billion-euro ($4.3 billion) fine.
Appealing against the CCIs order, Google said CCIs investigation unit copy-pasted extensively from a European Commission decision, deploying evidence from Europe that was not examined in India, Reuters reported.
There are more than 50 instances of copypasting, in some cases word-for-word, and the watchdog erroneously dismissed the issue, Google said in its filing which is not public but has been reviewed by Reuters.
The Commission failed to conduct an impartial, balanced, and legally sound investigation … Googles mobile app distribution practices are pro-competitive and not unfair/ exclusionary.
In a statement in connection with its appeal, Google said it decided to appeal the CCIs decision as it believes it presents a major setback for our Indian users and businesses.
It did not mention the allegations of copy-pasting against the Indian anti-trust body.
The tribunal will hear Googles appeal seeking to quash the order on Wednesday.
