Jury Rules In Favor of Epic Games, Finds Google Play Store Unfair and Monopolistic

Epic Games has scored a major win in its 2020 lawsuit against Google, accusing the tech giant of operating unlawful monopolies through the Google Play Store. The jury's verdict confirms Google's establishment of an illegal monopoly concerning the Google Play Store and its billing services. The unanimous decision underscores Google's significant control over Android app distribution and in-app billing, causing detrimental effects on market competition, particularly through the integration of the Google Play Store with its payment service. The jury also criticizes Google's engagements with game developers and OEMs in Project Hug, branding them as anti-competitive practices.

“Today’s verdict is a win for all app developers and consumers around the world. It proves that Google’s app store practices are illegal and they abuse their monopoly to extract exorbitant fees, stifle competition and reduce innovation,” wrote Epic Games in a company blog.

During the course of the trial, the court apparently found that “Google was willing to pay billions of dollars to stifle alternative app stores by paying developers to abandon their own store efforts and direct distribution plans, and offering highly lucrative agreements with device manufacturers in exchange for excluding competing app stores”.

The legal dispute traces back three years when Epic Games alleged that Google imposed a 30% tax on developers, aiming to establish dominance and monopolize the app store market. In court, Google executives purportedly conceded that their claimed "choice" of a 26% rate on third-party payment options was a deceptive tactic to create an illusion of developer alternatives.

The specific outcomes of Epic Games' victory are yet undisclosed, but the court's determination labels Google as culpable of anti-competitive behaviour, monopolistic actions, and harm inflicted upon Epic Games. Notably, Epic Games' objectives in this lawsuit go beyond financial compensation; they seek a judicial affirmation that every app creator should have the freedom to introduce their own app stores and billing systems on the Android platform. The unfolding of subsequent events and the court's stance on these requests remain uncertain.