A jury recently decided that Google has reversed course. google play (its app store) and Google Play billing services into an illegal monopoly. To give you a little backstory, the origins of this drama can be traced back to around 2020. epic gamesFortnite creator has begun a long legal battle with Google over its Android app distribution and in-app purchases. There’s been a lot of back and forth in various lawsuits, but Epic Games scored a big win this week.
Three questions were posed to the jury and the following is a paraphrased version. Does Google have monopoly power in the Android app distribution market and in-app billing services? Did Google engage in anticompetitive conduct in these markets? Finally, was Epic Games harmed by the conduct described above? The jury answered yes to all three.
With the jury’s decision that Google has a monopoly, it will be up to Judge James Donato to decide how best to resolve the issue. What’s interesting is that Epic Games isn’t suing for damages. Instead, Epic is asking the court to force Google to notify all app developers that they have the autonomy to create and distribute their own app stores and billing systems on Android. It remains to be seen what the judge will decide, and both Google and Epic Games plan to meet early next year to begin discussions.
In a blog published this week, Epic Games said: “Today’s ruling is a victory for all app developers and consumers around the world. It finds that Google’s app store practices are illegal and abuse its monopoly to charge exorbitant fees and discourage competition. It has proven to inhibit and reduce innovation.”
Naturally, Google has its own views. In a statement from Wilson White, Google’s vice president of government affairs and public policy, the company said: Android and Google Play offer more choice and openness than other major mobile platforms. This trial revealed that we compete fiercely with Apple and its App Store, as well as with his App Store on his Android devices and game consoles. We remain committed to the Android business model and remain deeply committed to our users, partners, and the broader Android ecosystem. ”
For us users, this still doesn’t make much sense. Perhaps something different will happen in the future, like allowing apps to get paid without giving Google a cut, but for now, nothing has changed. The legal system takes time.
// The Verge