Epic Games takes on Google in a monthlong trial, alleging antitrust violations and monopolistic practices in the Google Play Store.
Google, already embroiled in a high-stakes antitrust case with the Justice Department, now faces another legal challenge from Epic Games, the company behind the popular game Fortnite. In a monthlong trial set to begin in federal court in San Francisco, Epic Games will argue that Google is violating state and federal antitrust laws, as well as its founding principle of “Don’t be evil,” by exerting monopolistic power over app developers on its Google Play Store for Android mobile phones. The outcome of this case could have significant implications for Google’s control over its app store and the fees it charges developers.
The Battle between Epic Games and Google
Epic Games, in its antitrust lawsuit against Google, accuses the tech giant of using its dominant position to harm competitors, innovators, customers, and users across multiple markets it has monopolized. The video game developer initially attempted to bypass Google’s fees by allowing Fortnite players to pay Epic directly for in-app items. In response, Google removed Fortnite from the Google Play Store, prompting Epic Games to file its lawsuit in 2020.
Allegations of Monopolistic Practices
Epic Games argues that Google’s Play Store rules are overly restrictive, giving Google an unfair advantage and stifling competition. If Epic Games succeeds in its lawsuit, Google may be required to revise its Play Store regulations, allowing other companies to establish competing app stores and making it easier for developers to avoid the fees Google collects from in-app purchases.
Google currently charges a 15 percent fee for customer payments for app subscriptions and a 30 percent fee for purchases made within apps downloaded from the Play Store. The company claims that 99 percent of developers qualify for a fee of 15 percent or lower on in-app purchases, while more prominent app makers like Epic Games must pay the higher 30 percent fee.
Implications of a Victory for Epic Games
A victory for Epic Games in this lawsuit could have far-reaching consequences for Google’s control over its app store ecosystem. It could lead to increased competition in the app distribution market, as other companies would be able to offer competing app stores on Android devices. This could also result in more favorable terms for developers, who would have more options to distribute their apps and avoid the fees charged by Google.
As Google faces yet another antitrust lawsuit, this time from Epic Games, the outcome of this trial could have significant implications for the tech giant’s control over its app store and the fees it charges developers. If Epic Games succeeds, Google may be forced to revise its Play Store rules, allowing for more competition and potentially more favorable terms for developers. This case underscores the growing scrutiny faced by big tech companies and highlights the ongoing battle to ensure fair competition in the digital marketplace.
Bob Thompson is our in-house Home and Garden, Energy, and Gaming news writer. Bob is keenly aware of the need to recycle. Bob has written for many online publications over the course of his writing career, before joining our team here at DailyTechFeed.
