Fortnite maker Epic Games wins antitrust lawsuit against Google, The three-year legal struggle between the firms comes to an end with the unanimous ruling.
On Monday, in an antitrust case capable of reshaping how app marketplaces like Google Play are allowed to operate, a jury sided with Epic Games over Google.
Epic Games wins antitrust lawsuit against Google
The three-year legal struggle between the firms comes to an end with the unanimous ruling. The popular online multiplayer game developer Epic initially sued Google in 2020, claiming that the internet giant’s actions in the app store had broken both federal and state antitrust laws in California. Epic wrote the first part of the lawsuit.
Epic’s ostentatious attempt to unite app creators of all sizes against the well-established gatekeepers of mobile software included the lawsuit against Google. Despite the ongoing commotion surrounding the App Store and Google Play, Epic’s battle with Apple and Google revolves around its popular game Fortnite, which is available for free on almost every software platform.
According to Epic, both digital behemoths break antitrust rules by making app users pay through their platforms and keeping a large portion of in-app sales in the process. Apple and Google, in their defense, typically cite security concerns as justification for their common goal of pushing app users toward a single software authority.
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The way that Google and Apple handle third-party programs differs; whereas Android allows “sideloading” of apps, iOS does not. This distinction altered the nature of Epic’s legal dispute with Google. Even said, Google advises users not to install third-party apps, and the procedure is far more complicated than just downloading something from Google Play.
Given those factors, it wasn’t immediately clear that Epic would win its battle against Google Play’s somewhat less restrictive ecosystem, but it did.
“Today’s verdict is a win for all app developers and consumers around the world,” Epic Games wrote in a statement about the verdict. “It proves that Google’s app store practices are illegal and they abuse their monopoly to extract exorbitant fees, stifle competition and reduce innovation.”
Citing the UK’s Digital Markets, Competition, and Consumer Bill, and the EU’s Digital Markets Act, Epic applauded regulations in the works that may further curtail Apple and Google’s dominant software tactics.
Google’s VP of Government Affairs & Public Policy Wilson White confirmed the company’s plans to appeal in a statement sent to TechCrunch.
“We plan to challenge the verdict. Android and Google Play provide more choice and openness than any other major mobile platform,” White said. “… We will continue to defend the Android business model and remain deeply committed to our users, partners, and the broader Android ecosystem.”
If any of this seems familiar, it’s probably because Apple was faced with a similar battle by Epic. The highly publicized campaign concluded in a mixed verdict two years ago, starting with a parody of Apple’s famous “1984” commercial.
The court’s ruling mostly supported Apple, but it also mandated that the manufacturer of iPhones expand its software market by permitting developers to refer users to other payment methods. Basically, everything is still up in the air because both firms petitioned the Supreme Court to take up the matter and revisit the verdict in September.
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Back in 2018, Epic started directing Fortnite players away from Google’s Play Store and toward direct downloads. Even though Epic launched Fortnite on Google’s official app store in 2020, the business was criticized by many for restricting users from downloading unofficial apps. The well-known game can no longer be downloaded on iOS devices via Apple’s App Store or accessed on Google Play.
We will continue to hear about Epic’s multifront lawsuit because Google will undoubtedly file an appeal shortly. Nevertheless, everything is going Epic right now, from the rather unexpected court victory to the big Lego Fortnite launch last week that drew over 2.4 million concurrent players.
