A U.S. court denied Apple’s request to protect its deal with Google.

The corporation from Cupertino attempted to defend a deal in which Google pays Apple $20 billion annually to keep its search engine as the default on the company's devices.

“Previously, Microsoft and other competitors claimed that such a partnership hampers fair competition in the market. However, when Apple decided to join the proceedings on Google's side, the court deemed its request untimely,” the source clarifies.

The request was submitted on December 23, nearly two and a half months after the proceedings began. U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta noted that Apple should have understood that such intervention would cause delays in a process designed to last only eight months.

“The company wanted to present three additional witnesses to support its position, but the court denied this. At the same time, Apple is allowed to act as amicus curiae — ‘friend of the court,’ submitting written comments after the hearings to convey its perspective,” the statement reads.

Apple's Senior Vice President for Services Eddy Cue previously stated that Apple has no real alternative to Google's search engine, which indirectly confirms its desire to continue the partnership.