Epic Games Wins the Antitrust Battle Against Google
Epic Games has secured a victory in its antitrust lawsuit against Google as ruled by a California jury. The lawsuit, initiated in 2020, claimed that Google had established a monopoly through its Google Play Store, responsible for distributing more than 95 percent of Android apps.
At the core of Epic Games’ grievance was Google’s imposition of a 30 percent revenue share on all apps within the Google Play Store. Additionally, developers were mandated to use Google Play’s billing system, limiting their ability to monetize independently of Google’s ecosystem.
Tim Sweeney, the founder and CEO of Epic Games, expressed satisfaction with the verdict, stating,
Victory over Google! After 4 weeks of detailed court testimony, the California jury found against the Google Play monopoly on all counts. The Court’s work on remedies will start in January. Thanks for everyone’s support and faith! Free Fortnite!”
The jury concluded that there is an antitrust market on Android devices, affirming that
Google willfully acquired or maintained monopoly power by engaging in anticompetitive conduct.”
Epic successfully demonstrated harm caused by Google’s antitrust violations and highlighted agreements unreasonably restricting trade.
One specific finding was that “Google unlawfully tied the use of the Google Play Store to the use of Google Play Billing,” emphasizing the restrictive nature of Google’s practices.
The next steps involve Epic Games and Google meeting with the judge in January to discuss potential remedies. Despite the setback, Google has announced its intention to appeal the decision, indicating that the legal battle may continue.
The outcome of this lawsuit has the potential to influence the Android landscape, potentially leading to increased competition and a reevaluation of app distribution and revenue-sharing practices. The tech industry will be closely monitoring the court’s deliberations in January, anticipating the possibility of a more open and competitive Android ecosystem.
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