The Epic Games v. Google lawsuit, first filed back in 2020, has just reached a jury verdict, with the jury finding for Epic Games on 11 of the 11 counts.
Summary of the verdict from the Verge:
After just a few hours of deliberation, the jury unanimously answered yes to every question put before them — that Google has monopoly power in the Android app distribution markets and in-app billing services markets, that Google did anticompetitive things in those markets, and that Epic was injured by that behavior. They decided Google has an illegal tie between its Google Play app store and its Google Play Billing payment services, too, and that its distribution agreement, Project Hug deals with game developers, and deals with OEMs were all anticompetitive.
Google affairs and public policy VP Wilson White said the company plans to appeal the verdict and that “the trial made clear that we compete fiercely with Apple and its App Store, as well as app stores on Android devices and gaming consoles.” You can read their full statement further down.
In a post on its company blog, Epic Games said, “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.” We have a big post-trial interview with Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney here.
It’s a historic victory, particularly because Epic mostly lost its fight against Apple two years ago when Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers decided that fight had nothing to do with apps.
But Epic v. Google turned out to be a very different case. It hinged on secret revenue sharing deals between Google, smartphone makers, and big game developers, ones that Google execs internally believed were designed to keep rival app stores down. It showed that Google was running scared of Epic specifically. And it was all decided by a jury, unlike the Apple ruling.
If you want more details on all aspects of the trial, be sure to check out the links below.
Key Links
With Google Lost and Apple Didn’t
If you want to learn more about the Epic Games victory in the Epic v. Google lawsuit you can do so watching the video below.