The creator of the well-known video game Fortnite has triumphed over Google in a US court case after a jury found that the search engine giant had engaged in unlawful monopolisation.
In 2020, Epic Games filed a lawsuit against Google, claiming that the latter had unfairly privileged its app store over competitors’. Google declared that it would contest the result.
In the trial that lasted more than a month, the attorneys for the two companies presented their closing arguments on Monday. A court filing states that the jury unanimously found in favour of Epic on all counts.
“Android and Google Play provide more choice and openness than any other major mobile platform,” Wilson White, vice-president of government affairs and public policy at Google, said. “The trial made clear that we compete fiercely with Apple and its App Store, as well as app stores on Android devices and gaming consoles. We will continue to defend the Android business model and remain deeply committed to our users, partners, and the broader Android ecosystem,” he added.
Tim Sweeney, the CEO of Epic, announced that the company will begin working on fixes in January.
The case also contested Google’s practice of charging Android app developers transaction fees of up to 30% and the way the tech behemoth integrates its Play Store and billing service so that developers must use both in order for their apps to be listed in the store. Therefore, the decision may give developers greater control over how their apps are shared and monetized.
However, should the decision remain in place, Google might have to permit additional app stores on Android-powered gadgets and forfeit the money it receives from in-app purchases.
In the legal action, Epic claimed that Google’s “web of secretive, anti-competitive agreements” “suppresses innovation and choice”. Google had filed a countersuit against Epic, alleging that the latter had broken the terms of the developer agreement.
