Epic has won a victory in court against Google that could have far-reaching consequences in the future
Victory for Epic against Google! When two business giants of the 21st century fight it out in court, there is at least one thing at stake: a lot of money. But what Epic is having judged here could even have consequences for the coming decades on all smartphones and tablets worldwide.
Because while Epic has lost against Apple time and again recently, the Fortnite developer has now scored an important victory against Google. The Verge first reported on this. We explain what this is all about and what impact it could have in the long term
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Epic against Google – what’s it all about
Epic is involved in an ongoing legal dispute with Google and Apple. The core issue in both cases is how to pay for in-app purchases. In both cases, the providers of mobile platforms earn a lot of money through their stores and force the app providers to use their services. The software giant Epic is fighting back against this
The background to the legal dispute is of course Epic’s product Fortnite, which is a billion-dollar success on smartphones with operating systems from Google and Apple in addition to PC and console.
What exactly did a jury certify?
The jury found Google guilty of having an illegal monopoly in the areas of app distribution and in-app billing services for Android devices. In addition, Google’s contracts with video game companies and device manufacturers were found to be anti-competitive as they were required to pre-install Google’s apps.
One particularly explosive detail is the so-called Project Hug
: Google paid developers such as Activision Blizzard considerable sums to distribute their titles exclusively via the Play Store and prevent their own plans for competing app stores.
This practice, which began particularly after the release of Fortnite outside the Play Store, also affected other well-known game developers.
Victory over Google! After 4 weeks of detailed court testimony, the California jury found against the Google Play monopoly on all counts. The Court’s work on remedies will start in January. Thanks for everyone’s support and faith! Free Fortnite! https://t.co/ITm4YBHCus
– Tim Sweeney (@TimSweeneyEpic) December 12, 2023
Epic cheers, Google wants to resist
While Epic as a company (in a blog post) rejoices at the result and celebrates it as a victory for all developers, Google Vice President Wilson White announces (to appeal). The ruling will therefore be reviewed by the next higher instance
What happens now and in the long term?
The consequences of the ruling are still unclear. In January 2024, the court will meet with Epic and Google to clarify what exactly follows. Epic has not tried to sue for money from Google or anything similar. In essence, it is about maintaining the freedom to set up alternative stores and payment systems for smartphones with Android or iOS
If Epic achieves this goal, it could weaken the position of the Apple and Google stores on the relevant devices in the long term.
The video above shows you Fortnite’s latest big attack on the competition, a Minecraft-style survival game with a Lego license. And if you’re interested in the background to the legal dispute with Apple, take a look at the following article for details.
What do you think about this far-reaching issue? Does the dominance of Google and Apple on their platforms in everyday life bother you personally? Or do you think the current situation is unavoidable in a market with so few serious competitors? Let us know your opinion in our comments section:
