"Since the dispute was considered by a Russian court, its decision is mandatory

[tanjimajuha20]

Lawyer, economist, member of the RF CCI Committee on Entrepreneurship in Media Communications Pavel Katkov told ComNews: "Google will challenge the court's decision, as it always does. But its chances of winning are slim. True, it will be difficult for the Russian side to force Google to return the application to its own store. How to enforce such a court decision is a big question. After all, the court cannot install 2GIS in Google Play by force, with the help of bailiffs."

According to Mikhail German, ecuador whatsapp number database a partner at Varshavsky and Partners LLC, Google, on the contrary, is not going to lose the Russian market and will restore the application, albeit under pressure.

for all participants in the trial by virtue of the direct indication of Article 16 of the Arbitration Procedure Code of the Russian Federation. Therefore, given that Google, apparently, does not intend to lose the Russian audience, after implementing all possible ways to challenge the decision, the application will most likely be restored. Otherwise, Google and its management may face negative consequences, up to and including the initiation of a criminal case for evading the execution of a judicial act. And this threatens reputational risks for the company. The rules of the service itself are not taken into account in such a situation," Mikhail German told ComNews.

Experts have a good reason to suspect that Google is eliminating a competitor to Google Maps by removing 2GIS. For example, Apple also removed 2GIS from the App Store during the first wave of sanctions, but returned it in September 2022. However, it was not a matter of completely deleting the 2GIS account, as was the case with Google Play, and previously installed applications were still working and updated for users. According to one version, Apple left 2GIS maps because its mapping service Apple Maps does not directly compete with them. The fact is that the maps of the "apple company" failed miserably when they were launched in 2012, and since then they have not managed to gain popularity, so there is no talk of competition with 2GIS.

At the same time, Google Maps and 2GIS are extremely popular, and ComNews experts admit that Google is trying to suppress 2GIS, but agree that this is up to the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS).

"Of course, there is unfair competition here from Google, which implements its own map service, but the 2GIS application was created for the purpose of not only selling its own products, but also products from other manufacturers, so subsequent evasion or other obstruction of its distribution may end in claims and demands against Google from the FAS of Russia," Mikhail German is sure.

Igor Chuvstvinov agrees with his colleague: "In this case, only the FAS or the court can decide whether this is unfair competition. The presence of two competing products can indeed be considered a sign of unfair competition, but it is impossible to rely on a single sign. Other facts must also be proven - for example, the conditions for the distribution of these products, their interchangeability, and others."

Pavel Katkov concluded that for this 2GIS must contact the FAS or file a corresponding claim, and it is quite possible that it will be satisfied.