Heureka antitrust litigation against Google

The Prague Municipal Court issued a first-instance ruling in an antitrust dispute between the price comparison service Heureka and Google. The court ordered Google to pay 250 million CZK in damages to Heureka, a figure that exceeds 400 million CZK when including legal costs and statutory interest of 10% per annum dating back to June 2020.

The ruling addresses anti-competitive practices occurring between 2013 and 2017, specifically regarding the launch of Google Shopping. The court found that Google used its market dominance to systematically favor its own shopping comparison services in search results, to the detriment of competitors.

While Heureka originally sought approximately 395 million CZK, the court utilized principles of equitable assessment to determine the final compensation, noting the difficulty in calculating exact losses regarding changes in consumer behavior. Heureka Group CEO David Chmelař stated the decision confirms the company’s position and serves as a signal that e-commerce must operate under equal conditions for all players. Google had argued the claim was time-barred, but the court rejected this defense based on European Court of Justice precedents. The verdict is subject to appeal.