Historic Victory for Epic Games; Jury Rules Google Play Store is an Illegal Monopoly
Epic Games has won in court against Google. The jury found that the Android developer had guaranteed a monopoly of its services on Android devices through illegal methods.
Epic Games has won in court against Google. In a dispute with the Android developers, the jury agreed with the creators of Fortnite.
- The jury confirmed all the allegations coming from Epic Games. They found that Google Play, which allows for downloading apps, and the Google Play system, which handles financial transactions, have a monopolistic position on Android devices. Moreover, it was considered to have been obtained through illegal means.
- Google's actions were considered to have restricted competition on Android and led to damage on the part of Epic Games.
Some time ago, Epic Games lost a similar case against Apple. This time, however, the developer of Fortnite triumphed due to legally questionable actions of Google.
- After all, the corporation secretly shared profits with phone manufacturers, as long as they did not install other app stores on their phones.
- It also paid developers (such as Riot Games) not to find ways to bypass Google Play.
- During the trial, it also came to light that Google was happy to cut rates to its largest partners (e.g. Spotify or Netflix), which undermined the argument that all developers on Google Play are treated the same.
Epic Games vs. Google - what's next?
It is currently unclear what the implications of the case will be. The jury decided only that Google was guilty. Now the judge will have to determine what changes will be forced on Google.
Epic Games wants any developer to be able to install its own app store on Android devices (preferably directly through Google Play) without any obstacles, as well as to use any system for handling transactions. Consultations with both parties will begin in early January. Google has already announced that it will appeal the ruling.
Epic Games has not sought any damages. However, the company's CEO, Tim Sweeney, said his studio stands to gain hundreds of millions of dollars, perhaps even billions, if it does not have to share revenue with Google.
Commenting on the verdict, Sweeney expressed satisfaction with the jury's verdict. He also stated that he loves the American legal system, because in a dispute between a company worth billions and a corporation worth more than a trillion dollars, the outcome was decided by nine ordinary citizens.
