A San Francisco jury unanimously found Google guilty of engaging in anticompetitive behavior through its app store|Tony Webster|CC BY 2.0
Google lost to game maker Epic Games in court on Monday, ending a three-year lawsuit in which the video game company alleged the tech giant is engaging in an illegal monopoly through the Google Play store.
A San Francisco jury unanimously found the tech giant “maintained monopoly power” by engaging in anticompetitive behavior through its Android app store. The jury also agreed that
- Google cut revenue-sharing deals with certain smartphone makers and major game developers to prevent the creation of competing app stores.
- Its anticompetitive behavior injured Epic Games.
- Google has an illegal tie between its Google Play app store and its Google Play Billing payment services.
What’s next?
Epic seeks to establish freedom for every app developer to introduce rival app stores and billing systems on Android.
Google plans to appeal the verdict, asserting it faces fierce competition with Apple and other app stores.
The gaming company’s antitrust lawsuit was filed in 2020, shortly after Fortnite was banned from Google Play for encouraging players to pay directly to developers.
The judge’s decision on the case is expected early next year. It could potentially pave the way for challenges against other tech companies regarding their control over pricing and payments on internet platforms.