Google slated to ask judge to end antitrust case
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Google (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL) is set to go before a U.S. District Judge on Thursday with the search giant asking that an antitrust case stemming from three years ago be thrown out.
U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta will hear arguments from Google (GOOG) (GOOGL) and the U.S. Justice Department, which has claimed Google has a monopoly in the search market because of "exclusionary distribution agreements," including deals with Apple (AAPL) for its Safari browser and Mozilla Firefox's browser.
It's unlikely that Judge Mehta issues a ruling on Thursday, The Wall Street Journal reported. Instead, Judge Mehta is likely to issue a written summary on the case later this year, the news outlet added.
The case from the U.S. Justice Department and 11 states was originally filed in October 2020.
At the time, then Attorney General William Barr said the lawsuit "strikes at the heart of Googleâs grip over the Internet for millions of American consumers, advertisers, small businesses and entrepreneurs beholden to an unlawful monopolist." 
Mountain View, California-based Google (GOOG) (GOOGL) has argued the lawsuit is "deeply flawed" and its browser agreements with other organizations are not anticompetitive.
Google (GOOG) (GOOGL) is also likely to ask Judge Mehta that another antitrust lawsuit stemming from the Justice Department and 38 state attorneys general, initially filed in December 2020, be thrown out as well.
In January, a second antitrust lawsuit was filed by the DOJ against Google (GOOG) (GOOGL), this time over its advertising technology business.
Alphabet (GOOG) (GOOGL) shares were fractionally higher in premarket trading on Thursday.
Earlier this week, Google (GOOG) (GOOGL) dropped its COVID-19 vaccine rule to enter company buildings.