The headline is just strange. The DOJ sued for money; Google just straight up gave them the money they could have won upfront. That's not a "pay off"; it's literally what they asked for. Google's argument against a jury trial also seems on solid ground. The right to a trial by jury is meant as a protection for Americans; the government itself doesn't have the right to demand a jury. If the defendant thinks the legal issues in the case are too arcane and a judge is more likely to get it right (and get it right faster, which is cheaper), that's their prerogative.

No, based on the statements Google previously made, Google most likely sent a check for a fraction of the damages that a jury could find them liable for.

According to Google, sending the check moots the government’s sole claim for damages, which in turn foils the government’s plan to seek a jury trial under its damages claim. While Google disputes liability for any of the government’s claims, the payment serves to “prevent the tail from wagging the dog,” the court filing said.

It’s unclear just how big the check was. The court filing redacted key figures to protect Google’s trade secrets. But Google claimed that testimony from US experts “shrank” the damages estimate “considerably” from initial estimates between $100 million and $300 million, suggesting that the current damages estimate is “substantially less” than what the US has paid so far in expert fees to reach those estimates.