Paris court rules uberPOP advertising illegal, fines company as Uber vows to fight

A Paris court ruled today that the uberPOP ride-sharing service violates consumer laws regarding advertising and promotion and fined the San Francisco-based company $127,400.

Uber immediately issued a statement saying it would appeal the ruling and would continue to operate the service in the meantime. The company noted that the ruling did not determine the service itself was illegal but that the complex ruling focused on the way the company promoted the service.

“Following the decision [today] regarding the advertising and promotion of Uber’s ride-sharing solution uberPOP in France, Uber continues to operate uberPOP while it appeals some specific parts of the decision,” the company said. “Uber is committed to bringing affordability, choice, quality, and safety to France’s transport system. We will continue to engage with stakeholders on how we can help to create the smart cities of the future.”

The decision came from le Tribunal Correctionnel de Paris (the Correctional Court of Paris), which said the carpooling service was governed by rules and regulations governing taxis.

The case was originally brought by the French government through its department of Competition, Consumption, and Fraud Control, which is a branch of the Ministry for the Economy, Finances, and Industry.