Google is in France sentenced a compensation of 500,000 euros to pay for the abuse of a dominant position. The company would be competitors of the market pressures by its Maps service for businesses free.
The case was filed by the French company, Bottin Cartographes, which is also an online plattegronddienst offers, but at a fee. The case, dragging for over two years. Bottin Cartographes claimed the Google strategy is to get the service is temporarily free to create and thus competitors of the market and a dominant position.
“The court ruled that the methods that Google uses unfair and harmful for the market and all the requirements of Bottin Cartographes are granted. This is the first time that Google has been condemned for its Maps service,” says Jean-David Scemmama, lawyer of the French company.
Google is going to appeal, and says convinced that a free Maps service is beneficial for internet users and websites. “There remains competition in this sector for us, both in France and internationally”, said a spokesman of Google against AFP.