Judge orders Google to calculate costs of opening Epic Games' app store on Google Play
In the ongoing antitrust lawsuit between Google and Epic Games, Epic Games is seeking to open an Epic Games app store within Google Play. The judge in charge of the lawsuit has ordered Google to calculate how much it would cost to open a third-party app store within Google Play.
Judge orders Google to calculate the costs of Epic's biggest Play Store demand - The Verge
Judge doesn't buy Google's 'terrifying world of chaos' epic case claim - The Verg
https://www.theverge.com/2024/5/24/24163907/google-epic-world-of-chaos-antitrust-monopoly-case
Epic Games, the developer of the hugely popular battle royale game Fortnite and the game engine Unreal Engine, is suing Apple and Google, which operate app stores for smartphones, for violating antitrust laws.
Epic Games has sued Google for monopolizing the market in Google Play, the app store for Android, Google's smartphone operating system. The California court that heard the case ruled in favor of Epic Games, ruling that 'Google has created an anti-competitive market through its app store.'
California court rules in favor of Epic Games in antitrust lawsuit against Google - GIGAZINE
Epic Games, which won the lawsuit, prepared a 16-page document outlining its demands against Google in April 2024. In the document, Epic Games requests that Google 'block almost all potentially unfair practices,' 'introduce a third-party app store and billing system,' and 'actively, immediately and collectively put us on an equal footing with Google Play and its billing system,' among other things, and hopes that the court will approve it.
Epic Games has been pushing for a third-party app store to open within Google Play, but there has been considerable skepticism as to whether this would even happen.
However, after a hearing held on May 24, 2024, it was revealed that Judge James Donato ordered Google to 'calculate how much it would cost to comply with Epic Games' request.' The details of the order state that 'Google must submit to the court by June 24, 2024, a detailed description of the technical work and economic costs required to provide 'catalog access' and 'library porting' to competing app stores for up to six years.' In addition, it seems that this document may also include 'the technical work and economic costs of distributing a third-party app store through Google Play.'
According to court documents, Epic Games will have an opportunity to question and refute Google's experts and engineers about the materials prepared by Google before a final hearing on August 14, 2024.
At the hearing, Judge Donato also pointed out that Epic Games' proposed demands were 'too vague.' On the other hand, he said of Google, 'Let me be clear: Google, an illegal monopoly, will have to pay some fines. This case is about competitive opportunity in general. It is not about giving relief only to Epic Games, but about leveling the playing field and removing barriers,' emphasizing that measures are needed to prohibit Google's monopoly.
In response, Google said, 'If Epic Games' demands were to be accepted, the app store market would fall into a terrible state of chaos.' However, Judge Donato expressed skepticism, saying, 'I am not at all convinced by Google's opinion.'
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