Can ordinary Canadians sue a monopoly for being a monopoly?

Back in June, Toronto-based independent game developer Alexander Martin – known as Droqen online – filed a lawsuit against Google, charging that the company was abusing its dominance in search by paying Apple billions of dollars to make its search engine the default on iPhones and iPads.The case is the first of its kind as Martin is taking advantage of newly introduced amendments to Canada’s competition laws that allow private individuals to make such charges on behalf of the public interest.Those amendments were put in place by the federal government as a way of enabling ordinary, every-day Canadians to fight back against market abuses by larger, dominant companies.University of Ottawa law professor Jennifer Quaid, an expert in competition and digital policy, says this case is highly significant because it will determine whether the Competition Tribunal intends to entertain the government’s intentions, or whether it slams the door shut on individual actions like Martin’s.She joins Do Not Pass Go this week to explain why all eyes are on this David vs. Goliath case.Do Not Pass Go is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Do Not Pass Go at www.donotpassgo.ca/subscribe