Gujarat-Born US Judge Amit Mehta: A case of Google’s parent company Alphabet is going on in the court of Indian-origin Judge Amit P. Mehta in a US district court.
Google may face a big shock in this matter. It is possible that Google may have to sell its most used Chrome browser in the world. The US Justice Department (DoJ) has accused Google of monopoly regarding internet search engine. However, Google says that if it is forced to sell the Chrome browser, it will cause great harm to its customers and business. According to one figure, till October, Chrome had about 90 percent share in the global search engine market. Apart from this, its share in the American market is about 61 percent. Everyone’s eyes are on Indian-origin judge Amit P. Mehta regarding this Google case which took place in Gujarat. Amit Mehta was appointed judge by former US President Barack Obama. He was born in Patan, Gujarat in 1971 and moved to America with his parents at the age of one year. Amit Mehta earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and Economics from Georgetown University and then studied law. Amit Mehta started his legal career after graduating from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1997. After earning his law degree, he worked at law firms such as Latham & Watkins and Zuckerman Speider LLP, where he represented many high-profile clients. Read this also- Explainer: Why does Nepal give an honorary title to the Indian Army General, a tradition that has been going on for a long time? He became a judge in the District Court in 2014 and worked as a lawyer for former senator Tom Feeney. Amit Mehta helped free former International Monetary Fund (IMF) President Dominique Strauss-Kahn from assault charges in a New York court. Amit Mehta was appointed to the US District Court in Washington DC in December 2014. He is the first Asian-Pacific American judge to be sworn in to the US District Court in Washington, DC. Amit Mehta also has a strong inclination towards music. He has shown his love for music during many decisions. In a 2015 decision, he mentioned his favorite music artists, which include Jay-Z, Kanye West, Drake, and Eminem. Apart from this, in a decision of 2018, he had cited the lyrics of Beyoncé’s song ‘Sorry’. Read this also- Explainer: What is the havoc of Intercontinental Ballistic Missile, which Russia launched on Ukraine, India also has such a weapon. Hearing Trump’s case, Amit Mehta has already given verdict in many important cases. These decisions also include the case related to the Capitol Hill riots of January 6, 2020. In this, he rejected former President Donald Trump’s attempt to dismiss the lawsuits that held him responsible for inciting the riots. Amit Mehta wrote in his decision, “The matter is definitely related to the former President, but the court understands very well the seriousness of its decision.” Read this also – Those daily vegetables, which if not eaten like this, will cause a lot of insects to wreak havoc in the body. This is the latest case. This decision against Google has come after a big and long lasting case. The US Department of Justice (DOJ) and several US states had alleged that Google used unfair business practices to maintain its search engine monopoly. The trial began in September last year and lasted for 10 weeks. This decision, which could change the Internet landscape, is one of the most important antitrust decisions in recent history. Judge Amit Mehta’s decision was clear, “Google has maintained its monopoly and it did this to maintain its monopoly.” What Google has to say: However, the tech giant has consistently argued that its dominance in the market is due to the choice of users, and not by adopting unfair practices. Google’s search engine handles about 8.5 billion queries every day, which has almost doubled in the last ten years. In response to this ruling, Google intends to file an appeal. Google’s global affairs president Kent Walker, defending the company, said, “It is clear from this decision that Google provides the best search engine, but should we not be allowed to make it easily available.” The company believes that its success is the result of providing better services to the users. Also read – Why America’s first transgender MP is in the news, why women cannot go to the toilet of Parliament. Antitrust case had come up earlier also. At the beginning of Amit Mehta’s career, a case of violation of antitrust law had come up. Cisco, the country’s largest food distribution company, was trying to buy its rival US Foods. The Federal Trade Commission had filed a lawsuit to stop this $3.5 billion deal. His argument was that this would reduce competition. Judge Mehta himself first studied for this case. Over the next few months, he asked pointed questions about the food delivery business regarding antitrust laws. In 2015, Judge Mehta wrote a 128-page judgment and ordered a temporary halt to the deal. Within a few days, Cisco abandoned its acquisition plan. Tags: Google, Google apps, Google chrome, International newsFIRST PUBLISHED : November 22, 2024, 21:41 IST