Google’s French division has been order by a Parisian Court to pay out almost half a million pounds in charges, all for offering its mapping service free of charge.
Google maps is obviously free to the public to use online and on smart devices, but Google also provides it free of charge to businesses. Many other firms also provide mapping services for businesses, but many charge for the privilege. One rival company, Bottin Cartographes, made a formal complaint about Google’s practices, claiming that the company was using its muscle in order to provide free maps whereas rival companies can’t afford to.
Unfortunately for Google, being the good guys didn’t really pay off for them. The Parisian court ruled that Google’s practices were unfair and unlawful, and as a result of this the company has been ordered to pay €500,000 in damages to Bottin Cartographes, plus a fine of €15,000 on top for good measure.
“This is the end of a two-year battle, a decision without precedent,” the lawyer for Bottin Cartographes, Jean-David Scemmama, told the AFP. “We proved the illegality of Google’s strategy to remove its competitors. The court recognised the unfair and abusive character of the methods used.”
Google has already confirmed it has plans to appeal against the decision, with a spokesperson for the company stating: “We remain convinced that a free high-quality mapping tool is beneficial for both internet users and websites. There remains competition in this sector for us, both in France and internationally.”
The web giant will soon begin charging large businesses and big users of its Maps service, though fees will only be incurred when the service is used over 25,000 times per day by a business.
It seems a little unfair to us that Google can be charged for providing such a great service for free. They don’t really need to make a profit from it due to the size of their business, so why should they?
Let us know your thoughts on our comments below or via our @Gadget_Helpline Twitter page or Official Facebook group.