Epic Games Prevails in Monopoly Case Against Google
Epic Games Wins Lawsuit Against Google Over App Store Commission
Epic Games, the creator of the popular game Fortnite, has emerged victorious in its legal battle against Google over the tech giant’s app store policies. The lawsuit, which was filed by Epic Games, challenged Google’s requirement for app developers to pay a commission of up to 30 percent on sales of digital products or services through the Google Play Store.
The case, which was heard in the Northern District Court of California, resulted in a jury ruling that Google had violated antitrust laws in its operation of the app store. The decision was met with celebration by Epic Games’ CEO Tim Sweeney, who took to social media to proclaim “Victory against Google.”
The dispute between Epic Games and Google dates back to an incident in August 2020, when Epic released updates to Fortnite that allowed the company to bypass the Google Play Store and bill customers directly for in-app purchases. In response, Google and Apple removed Fortnite from their app stores, prompting Epic Games to file lawsuits against both companies.
While the lawsuit against Google has now been concluded in Epic Games’ favor, the legal battle with Apple is ongoing. Epic Games filed a lawsuit against Apple in 2021, and the case was appealed earlier this year.
The outcome of the lawsuit against Google marks a significant victory for Epic Games and has implications for the wider app developer community. The ruling against Google’s app store practices could potentially lead to changes in how tech giants operate their app stores, and it sets a precedent for future disputes between app developers and platform owners.
