Google's search business has been found in violation of US antitrust law by Federal Judge Amit Mehta in a landmark ruling. The decision specifically targets Google's monopolistic practices in securing default search engine placement across devices and platforms.

Judge Mehta's ruling highlights Google's strategy of paying substantial sums for exclusive distribution contracts with browser developers, mobile device manufacturers, and wireless carriers. These agreements ensure Google remains the default search engine "right out of the box," giving the company a significant advantage over competitors.

Key findings from the ruling:

• Google has been declared a monopolist that violated Section 2 of the Sherman Act
• The company's default distribution contracts provided an unfair advantage
• High search advertising prices reflect Google's monopolistic position
• The ruling specifically addresses search business, not search ads

The decision marks the first major federal ruling in recent tech antitrust cases, comparable to the U.S. v. Microsoft case from 25 years ago. While Google is expected to appeal, the court will determine specific penalties in a separate proceeding.

This ruling follows a December federal jury decision in California that found Google's app store operation to be an illegal monopoly. The full impact of these decisions may take months or years to materialize, with Google likely facing monetary fines and potential operational changes.

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