Published , by Asif Khan
Published , by Asif Khan
The Epic Games vs. Google lawsuit has concluded in the state of California. The jury has determined that Google Play is an anticompetitive market and the court's work on remedies will begin in January.
Tim Sweeney took to Twitter to celebrate the victory. It remains to be seen just what this will mean for the future of Fortnite on mobile platforms. There is also a possibility that Epic Games Store could launch on Android as a result of this case. This as a uninamous verdict that came after only three hours of deliberation. The four-week trial focused on Google Play's payment system that powers many app experiences on Android OS. In a company post, Epic Games heralded this moment as "a win for all developers." Over 95% of Android apps are distributed through Google Play Store, creating an uphill battle for the tech behemoth in trying to spin the facts in any positive way.
Where things go from here remain to be seen, as Google will attempt to appeal today's ruling according to VP of Government Affairs and Public Policy Wilson White. While Apple was able to skirt the hammer of justice when it comes to App Store, Epic lawyer Gary Bornstein has said that "Apple is not the 'get out of jail for free' card that Google wants it to be." Epic presented evidence of Google executives engaging in some anticompetitive practices like paying game maker Activision Blizzard to discourage the company from opening a rival app store on Android.
Google claims that it is an Apple competitor and they are merely defending its market position. The San Francisco jury was not buying the argument, but we will have to keep our eyes on future appeals before "Victory over Google" is a certainty for Epic Games.