A U.S. judicial panel on Tuesday said that Texas‘ antitrust lawsuit against Alphabet’s Google would be moved to the Southern District of New York, where other similar cases would also be heard.
Google had asked that the case, which was filed against it by Texas and other states, be combined with similar cases in U.S. District Court for Northern California.
Texas opposed the move, and the request prompted federal legislation aimed at allowing state attorneys general to choose the venue for their lawsuits.
The panel, which recently heard arguments on the proposed move, said that the Texas case and others involve “common questions of fact, and that centralization in the Southern District of New York will serve the convenience of the parties and witnesses.”
Later the panel says: “We further find that inclusion of the State of Texas action in this MDL (multi-district litigation) is appropriate.”
Google welcomed the panel’s decision, saying it would lead to “just and efficient litigation.”
“We look forward to demonstrating how our advertising business competes fiercely and fairly to the benefit of publishers, advertisers and consumers,” a Google spokeswoman said in an email statement.
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