Google has filed an appeal against the antitrust ruling that labeled the company a monopoly in search.

The appeal, confirmed on Friday, challenges the decision of the U.S. federal court that found Google holds an illegal monopoly in the search market. The company disputes the court's characterization of its dominance and now asks a higher court to review the holding.

Google has long defended its market position by pointing to the quality and popularity of its search product. In appealing, the company seeks to overturn the monopoly finding before remedies are settled in the case below.

For antitrust practitioners, the appeal opens the next phase of the most consequential U.S. monopoly litigation in a generation. The filing moves the dispute to a federal appellate court, where briefing will address whether the trial court correctly defined the relevant market and weighed Google's distribution agreements. Any eventual remedy — including possible restrictions on the contracts that secure Google's default placement on devices — now sits behind the appellate timeline. Clients in advertising, software, and publishing should expect continued uncertainty on search-related deal terms while the appeal runs its course.

The case will next proceed on the appellate docket. A decision from the reviewing court will determine whether the monopoly finding stands and what consequences follow for Google's search business.