{"id":46267,"date":"2024-12-27T16:55:56","date_gmt":"2024-12-27T21:55:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mjtsai.com\/blog\/?p=46267"},"modified":"2025-08-01T16:21:42","modified_gmt":"2025-08-01T20:21:42","slug":"apple-to-defend-google-revenue-sharing-agreement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mjtsai.com\/blog\/2024\/12\/27\/apple-to-defend-google-revenue-sharing-agreement\/","title":{"rendered":"Apple to Defend Google Revenue Sharing Agreement"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/technology\/apple-seeks-defend-googles-billion-dollar-payments-search-case-2024-12-24\/\">Jody Godoy<\/a> (<a href=\"https:\/\/news.ycombinator.com\/item?id=42503558\">Hacker News<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/apple\/comments\/1hlx5d5\/apple_seeks_to_defend_googles_billiondollar\/\">Reddit<\/a>):<\/p>\n<blockquote cite=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/technology\/apple-seeks-defend-googles-billion-dollar-payments-search-case-2024-12-24\/\"><p>Apple has asked to participate in Google&rsquo;s upcoming U.S. antitrust trial over online search, saying it cannot rely on Google to defend revenue-sharing agreements that send the iPhone maker billions of dollars each year for making Google the default search engine on its Safari browser.<\/p><p>[&#8230;]<\/p><p>Apple received an estimated $20 billion from its agreement with Google in 2022 alone.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.macrumors.com\/2024\/12\/24\/apple-explains-why-it-wont-make-search-engine\/\">Joe Rossignol<\/a>:<\/p>\n<blockquote cite=\"https:\/\/www.macrumors.com\/2024\/12\/24\/apple-explains-why-it-wont-make-search-engine\/\"><p>In a <a href=\"https:\/\/fingfx.thomsonreuters.com\/gfx\/legaldocs\/zgvoalybovd\/apple%20declaration.pdf\">declaration<\/a> filed with a U.S. federal court in Washington, D.C. last week, Cue said Apple is against the idea for the following reasons[&#8230;]<\/p><p>[&#8230;]<\/p><p>Earlier this year, as part of the U.S. Department of Justice&rsquo;s antitrust trial against Google, the court declared that the deal that sees Google set as the default search engine in Apple&rsquo;s web browser Safari <a href=\"https:\/\/www.macrumors.com\/2024\/08\/05\/google-search-antitrust-monopoly\/\">is illegal<\/a>. In his declaration, Cue asked the court to allow Apple to defend the deal by having its own witnesses testify during the trial.<\/p><p>&ldquo;Only Apple can speak to what kinds of future collaborations can best serve its users,&rdquo; wrote Cue. &ldquo;Apple is relentlessly focused on creating the best user experience possible and explores potential partnerships and arrangements with other companies to make that happen.&rdquo;<\/p><p>[&#8230;]<\/p><p>If the agreement can no longer continue, Cue said &ldquo;it would hamstring Apple&rsquo;s ability to continue delivering products that best serve its users&rsquo; needs.&rdquo;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>If Apple thinks Google Search is the best for users, it could still offer it as the default. It just wouldn&rsquo;t get the TAC.<\/p>\n\n<p>Previously:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/mjtsai.com\/blog\/2024\/12\/27\/vlad-prelovac-on-kagi-search-and-orion\/\">Vlad Prelovac on Kagi Search and Orion<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/mjtsai.com\/blog\/2024\/11\/19\/doj-wants-google-to-sell-chrome-and-de-google-android\/\">DOJ Wants Google to Sell Chrome and De-Google Android<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/mjtsai.com\/blog\/2024\/08\/06\/google-search-and-ads-monopoly\/\">Google Search and Ads Monopoly<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/mjtsai.com\/blog\/2024\/07\/05\/doj-investigating-apple-google-default-search-engine-deal\/\">DOJ Investigating Apple-Google Default Search Engine Deal<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/mjtsai.com\/blog\/2023\/10\/23\/cue-testimony-in-us-v-google\/\">Cue Testimony in US v. Google<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/mjtsai.com\/blog\/2022\/01\/08\/lawsuit-alleges-google-paid-apple-to-stay-out-of-search\/\">Lawsuit Alleges Google Paid Apple to Stay Out of Search<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p id=\"apple-to-defend-google-revenue-sharing-agreement-update-2025-01-06\">Update (2025-01-06): <a href=\"https:\/\/spyglass.org\/appl\/\">M.G. Siegler<\/a>:<\/p>\n<blockquote cite=\"https:\/\/spyglass.org\/appl\/\"><p>The real reason Apple is unlikely to go down a web search path is because they believe &#x2013; as many now do &#x2013; that web search is <em>yesterday&rsquo;s<\/em> technology. Today is all about AI.<\/p><p>[&#8230;]<\/p><p>Said another way, if this were ten to fifteen years ago, Apple may indeed be compelled to go after web search on their own with such a remedy. But in 2025, it makes basically no sense and it would be <a href=\"https:\/\/spyglass.org\/google-disrupted-microsoft\/\">an expensive distraction<\/a> at best from what Apple <a href=\"https:\/\/spyglass.org\/wake-up-apple\/\">needs to be working on<\/a>.<\/p><p>[&#8230;]<\/p><p>But it&rsquo;s not like Apple can just rip out Google, or any other web search product, from the iPhone. As Cue notes, that would make Apple&rsquo;s product experience <em>worse<\/em>. And so they won&rsquo;t. Which again leads to the notion that little would likely change if the judge were to accept this remedy in the case &#x2013; except, again, for those $20B+ yearly payments. Money so large that it even matters to Apple.<\/p><p>[&#8230;]<\/p><p>It&rsquo;s a weird position for the government to be in. They want these deals to be over, but killing these deals completely will probably only hurt Google&rsquo;s search share marginally, if at all. But it will <em>help<\/em> Google&rsquo;s bottom line! Money that Google can then plow back into making their search engine better, continuing the cycle.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>And it will hurt Chrome&rsquo;s competitors.<\/p>\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/blog.google\/outreach-initiatives\/public-policy\/google-remedies-proposal-dec-2024\/\">Google<\/a>:<\/p>\n<blockquote cite=\"https:\/\/blog.google\/outreach-initiatives\/public-policy\/google-remedies-proposal-dec-2024\/\">\n<p>Today, we filed our own proposal, based on the actual findings in the Court&rsquo;s decision. This was a decision about our search distribution contracts, so our proposed remedies are directed to that.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/carnage4life.bsky.social\/post\/3ldrzym3a222n\">Dare Obasanjo<\/a>:<\/p>\n<blockquote cite=\"https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/carnage4life.bsky.social\/post\/3ldrzym3a222n\">\n<p>The DOJ requested that  Google to sell Chrome, end default search deals, share its index with rivals, and potentially sell Android to remedy its search monopoly.<\/p>\n<p>Google&rsquo;s counter-proposed that its search deals with Apple and others don&rsquo;t need to be exclusive, allowing Apple to partner with Bing. &#x1F643;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n<p id=\"apple-to-defend-google-revenue-sharing-agreement-update-2025-01-31\">Update (2025-01-31): <a href=\"https:\/\/9to5mac.com\/2025\/01\/31\/apple-seeks-delay-in-google-search-monopoly-case-so-it-wont-suffer-irreparable-harm\/\">Ryan Christoffel<\/a> (<a href=\"https:\/\/storage.courtlistener.com\/recap\/gov.uscourts.dcd.223205\/gov.uscourts.dcd.223205.1158.0_1.pdf\">PDF<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/news.ycombinator.com\/item?id=42889297\">Hacker News<\/a>):<\/p>\n<blockquote cite=\"https:\/\/9to5mac.com\/2025\/01\/31\/apple-seeks-delay-in-google-search-monopoly-case-so-it-wont-suffer-irreparable-harm\/\">\n<p>Earlier this week, Apple was <a href=\"https:\/\/9to5mac.com\/2025\/01\/29\/judge-says-apple-left-it-too-late-to-defend-its-20b-deal-with-google\/\">denied a motion<\/a> to present witnesses at the upcoming Google trial.<\/p>\n<p>[&#8230;]<\/p>\n<p>Since its motion was just denied, Apple has followed up with another option: requesting a stay on proceedings to &ldquo;protect its rights pending appeal.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>[&#8230;]<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>Absent a stay, Apple will suffer irreparable harm: the deprivation of its right to participate as a party in the remedial phase of this case moving forward, including possibly at the trial itself, while its undisputed property rights are adjudicated.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n<p id=\"apple-to-defend-google-revenue-sharing-agreement-update-2025-02-07\">Update (2025-02-07): <a href=\"https:\/\/www.macrumors.com\/2025\/02\/03\/apple-stay-motion-denied-google-lawsuit\/\">Juli Clover<\/a>:<\/p>\n<blockquote cite=\"https:\/\/www.macrumors.com\/2025\/02\/03\/apple-stay-motion-denied-google-lawsuit\/\"><p>Last week, Apple filed a motion for an emergency stay that would give the Cupertino company time to intervene in the lawsuit, but the judge overseeing the case denied Apple&rsquo;s motion [<a href=\"https:\/\/storage.courtlistener.com\/recap\/gov.uscourts.dcd.223205\/gov.uscourts.dcd.223205.1160.0.pdf\">PDF<\/a>] and won&rsquo;t hold off on moving forward.<\/p><p>[&#8230;]<\/p><p>Apple now plans to file a motion to expedite its appeal of the initial ruling barring it from further participating in the Google lawsuit. The remedies portion of the antitrust lawsuit against Google is set to begin in April, so the appeals process may have time to play out before then if Apple can get the case expedited.<\/p><\/blockquote>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Jody Godoy (Hacker News, Reddit): Apple has asked to participate in Google&rsquo;s upcoming U.S. antitrust trial over online search, saying it cannot rely on Google to defend revenue-sharing agreements that send the iPhone maker billions of dollars each year for making Google the default search engine on its Safari browser.[&#8230;]Apple received an estimated $20 billion [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"apple_news_api_created_at":"2024-12-27T21:55:58Z","apple_news_api_id":"94e42be5-aa53-43b8-b1d3-8bb5b6cdf9c3","apple_news_api_modified_at":"2025-08-01T20:21:45Z","apple_news_api_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAw==","apple_news_api_share_url":"https:\/\/apple.news\/AlOQr5apTQ7ix04u1ts35ww","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_is_hidden":false,"apple_news_is_paid":false,"apple_news_is_preview":false,"apple_news_is_sponsored":false,"apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":"\"\"","apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[1928,2085,38,101,1870,1416,51,456,2286,41,209,343],"class_list":["post-46267","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-technology","tag-adwords","tag-antitrust","tag-apple","tag-business","tag-department-of-justice-doj","tag-eddy-cue","tag-google","tag-googlechrome","tag-google-search","tag-lawsuit","tag-legal","tag-search"],"apple_news_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mjtsai.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46267","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mjtsai.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mjtsai.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mjtsai.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mjtsai.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=46267"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/mjtsai.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46267\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":48737,"href":"https:\/\/mjtsai.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46267\/revisions\/48737"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mjtsai.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=46267"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mjtsai.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=46267"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mjtsai.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=46267"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}