On October 20th, the U.S. Department of Justice (The Justice. Justice Department)Alphabet Inc-CL C(Google) filed a lawsuit accusing the $1,000bn company of illegally using its market power to block competitors. The lawsuit is also the biggest challenge to the power and influence of large technology companies in decades.
Us judge Amit Mehta Mehta said in a note on Friday how Alphabet's Alphabet Inc-CL C must respond to the federal antitrust lawsuit by mid-November. In addition, the two sides will provide preliminary information disclosure later this month.
Alphabet Inc-CL C has taken some illegal actions to maintain his leading position in search and search advertising, the federal government said. However, Alphabet Inc-CL C denied any wrongdoing.
At a meeting on Friday, John Schmidt Lane (John Schmidtlein), who represents Alphabet Inc-CL C, said that if Alphabet Inc-CL C planned to ask for the case to be dismissed in a summary judgment, they would inform the United States District Court of Columbia by November 13.
After some disputes between the government and Alphabet Inc-CL C's lawyers, Judge Mehta said both sides should initially disclose potential witnesses and evidence that might be used in the trial by November 20.
The judge asked both parties to submit status reports on the protection order by November 6, which will protect third parties, such as Alphabet Inc-CL C's client, who provided evidence for the government. The next meeting is scheduled for November 18.
The judge involved in the lawsuit was selected at random and he also revealed his personal relationship with Alphabet Inc-CL C, including a cousin who works for Alphabet Inc-CL C and a friend who used to be an executive at Alphabet Inc-CL C.
Mehta said he did not know the exact position of his cousin in Alphabet Inc-CL C. "I confess to you, I don't know what he did," the judge said. "
Alphabet Inc-CL C also refused to confirm the identity of Judge Mehta's cousin or specify his position in Alphabet Inc-CL C.
Antitrust experts have said Judge Mehta, nominated by President Barack Obama, is a good candidate because he is not pro-business.
Judges' family relationships are sometimes challenged by litigants, and it is unclear whether Alphabet Inc-CL C or the US government will try to get Mehta to evade the case.
Under US law, a judge should be disqualified from participating "when he is challenged by" any reasonable challenge that may affect the fairness of the proceedings ". The law also enumerates situations where, for example, a person who has a "third-tier relationship" with a judge or a judge's spouse is an official or director of the company, a potential material witness or a person who may be "significantly affected" by the case.