Pricerunner is considered to have suffered damage as a result of Google having illegally favoured its price comparison service for many years, the court writes.
"It is in many ways a complex and extensive case and the damages, even though Pricerunner did not achieve full success with its lawsuit, are undoubtedly the largest ever awarded in a Swedish competition case," says Councillor Linda Kullberg in a press release.
“Good for everyone”
Pricerunner, which was bought by Klarna in 2022, had demanded SEK 77 billion. However, owner Klarna is still satisfied with the outcome.
"This ruling contributes to a healthier and more competitive market for how people compare products and services - and that's good for everyone who shops," writes Klarna's communications manager Dan Greaves to TT.
In June 2017, the European Commission ruled in the so-called Shopping case that Google had abused its dominant position in the market. In its lawsuit, Pricerunner alleged that Google's abuse continued even after the European Commission's decision, until the end of 2023. Something Google does not agree with.
Pricerunner is now right against Google insofar as Google's abuse continued for longer than Google claimed, the court writes.
“Does not share assessment”
"We do not share the court's assessment. We are currently reviewing the ruling and considering our options. The changes we made to Shopping ads in 2017 are working well and creating growth and jobs for hundreds of comparison shopping services that operate more than 1,500 websites across Europe," a Google spokesperson wrote to TT.
In addition to the damages, Google must pay accrued interest of approximately SEK 400 million, Danish kroner 250 million and British pounds 300 million, the court writes. This corresponds to a total of approximately SEK 4.6 billion.
Klarna's shares rise 7 percent in pre-market trading on Wall Street.
