The court war between Google and Epic Games over Play Store policies continues, with the Mountain View tech giant now seeking to overturn a major antitrust ruling.
The dispute started in 2020, when Epic Games added a direct payment method to Fortnite, bypassing Google's 30% commission on in-app transactions.
This move breached Play Store policies, resulting in Fortnite's removal from both Google and Apple app stores. In response, Epic Games filed an antitrust case against Google, accusing the company of establishing a monopoly by restrictive app store policies.
In December 2023, a San Francisco jury ruled in favor of Epic Games, finding that Google has engaged in anti-competitive behavior to maintain its dominant position. The verdict required allowing third-party payments on its platform and permitting alternative in-app payment methods.
Now, Google is challenging this ruling in the U.S. appeals court in California. The company claims that Judge James Donato overstepped his authority by making alterations that fundamentally altered the Play Store's structure, stating he was acting as a "central planner responsible for product design". Google maintains that its policies are important for security and user experience rather than anti-competitive control.
On the other hand, Epic Games claims Google's arguments should be rejected by the court, as Google has long stifled competition and has been trying to keep control of the mobile app industry. The company has committed to fight to enforce the jury's decision and hold Google accountable for suspected anticompetitive behavior.
As the lawsuit progresses, the outcome may have far-reaching consequences for app distribution and digital marketplaces, shaping the future of competition in the mobile app ecosystem.