ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) — A federal judge declared Friday that the government’s antitrust case against Google over its advertising technology will go to trial in September, rejecting both sides’ request to rule in its favor as a matter of right.
The Justice Department and Google were scheduled to present their arguments seeking a summary judgment next week. But at a hearing Friday in federal court in Alexandria on unrelated issues, U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema told both sides that it is clear the case must go to trial.
A judge grants summary judgment only when the facts are not in dispute and a decision can be made as a matter of law. But Brinkema noted that it is clear that numerous facts are in dispute.
His decision was not unexpected.
The lawsuit alleges that Google violated federal antitrust laws by creating a monopoly over the technology that powers online advertising.
The Justice Department had initially requested a jury trial to decide the case, but last week Brinkema canceled the jury trial and replaced it with a bench trial, meaning she will decide whether Google broke the law.
Google is awaiting a ruling from another District of Columbia judge on whether its popular search engine constitutes an illegal monopoly.
The trial is scheduled for September 9.
