Epic Games wins antitrust lawsuit against Google
Epic Games has won an antitrust trial against Google, claiming that the tech giant's Play Store created a monopoly on Android devices.
The details:
Epic filed the lawsuit in 2020, accusing the Google Play Store of creating a monopoly, with attempts to avoid fees resulting in Fortnite's removal from the store. The issue was that the company took a 30% revenue share from all apps on the store, with in-app purchases also going through Google's payment systems, and that it was claimed to have struck deals with manufacturers to keep rival app stores off mobile devices.
Over three years later, the jury found Epic's claims to be true, with Google allegedly offering billions of dollars in deals to "stifle alternative app stores" and "willfully acquired or maintained monopoly power by engaging in anticompetitive conduct," causing Epic to face losses.
Epic announced the victory in a blog post, calling the ruling "a win for all app developers and consumers around the world" and stating that it "proves that Google's app store practices are illegal and that they abuse their monopoly to extract exorbitant fees, stifle competition, and reduce innovation." It's unclear what Epic will receive as a result of the trial, but CEO Tim Sweeney has stated that "work on remedies will start in January" in a new post on X, with Google planning to appeal.
Apple was also hit with a similar antitrust lawsuit from the publisher; however, Epic ultimately lost this trial in 2021, with Apple receiving a slap on the wrist and being told to allow the use of external payment options in apps.
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