Judge Amit Mehta dismisses Chegg, PMC antitrust suits over AI Overviews

The ruling comes after Judge Mehta made a landmark antitrust ruling against Google in 2024. In this case, he acknowledged the court is not 'unsympathetic' to publishers, but said antitrust rules cannot replace legislative action on the economic impact of new innovation. The decision highlights the legal difficulty of using antitrust law to challenge AI-driven changes to search, even as publishers report steep traffic declines. Meanwhile, Google is reportedly paying around 100 publishers for AI content, suggesting a possible shift toward compensation models outside the courtroom. The outcome for publishers may hinge on whether such pilot payments expand or whether lawmakers act where courts have declined.