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Judge Dismisses Chegg and Penske Antitrust Lawsuits Targeting Google AI Search
On Wednesday, District Judge Amit Mehta in Washington dismissed antitrust lawsuits filed by Chegg and Penske Media Corporation against Google, ruling their claims 'fail to get out of the starting gate.'
In lawsuits filed last year, Chegg and PMC accused Google of abusing monopoly power by coercing publishers into supplying content for AI Overviews for free or risk disappearing from search results. Publishers alleged the practice diverted traffic and hurt revenue.
Judge Mehta wrote that while the court is not 'unsympathetic' to publishers whose content Google repurposes without compensation, antitrust rules cannot replace legislators' power to address economic harm from innovation. Plaintiffs merely expected Google to send traffic for free content.
Chegg and Penske, which publishes Billboard and Variety, did not immediately respond to the ruling. A judge similarly rejected antitrust claims against Google in March, establishing a pattern in publisher disputes.
Publishers continue experiencing steep traffic declines from Google's AI-powered search overhaul, even as The Information reported this week Google is paying around 100 publishers for AI Overviews, AI Mode, and Gemini contributions through a pilot program.