AZB acts for Google in securing the first settlement order issued by the Competition Commission of India

In a first-of-its-kind decision, AZB’s competition practice acted for Google in successfully securing the first settlement order under the one year-old settlement scheme introduced by the Competition Commission of India (CCI). This ends a five year long inquiry into licensing arrangements for Android TV. The settlement proposal offers a standalone license for Google Play and play services and waives compatibility requirements for Android TVs that don’t carry Google’s apps. The CCI accepted Google’s proposals along with a settlement amount of INR 20.24 crores. The CCI’s order is available at https://lnkd.in/gZ3HaGTa.

We are grateful to the Hon’ble Competition Commission of India for enabling a framework for constructive engagement under the settlement route. We are confident that the commitments and settlements regime will continue to be an important tool to reach timely and efficient outcomes.

The team that led this effort comprised our Partner Hemangini Dadwal, Senior Associate Shreya Singh, and Associates Rishabh Jain, Mrigank Patel and Sanjana Arun. It was a pleasure to work with the ELP and Vinson and Elkin team on this!