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On Monday, a jury sided with Epic Games over Google in an antitrust case<\/a> that could reshape how app marketplaces like Google Play are allowed to operate.<\/p>\n The unanimous verdict wraps up a three-year-long legal battle between the companies. Epic, creator of the popular online multiplayer game Fortnite<\/a>, first filed its lawsuit against Google in 2020 alleging that the tech giant\u2019s app store practices violated federal and California state antitrust laws.<\/p>\n The lawsuit against Google was just one piece of Epic\u2019s flashy effort to rally app developers large and small against mobile software\u2019s entrenched gatekeepers. Epic\u2019s war against Apple and Google centers around its hit game Fortnite, which is free-to-play and available on nearly every software platform imaginable, current App Store and Google Play drama notwithstanding.<\/p>\n Epic argues that both tech giants violate antitrust laws by forcing app users to make payments through their own systems and taking a significant cut of in-app revenues in the process. In their defense, Apple and Google generally point to concerns around security to justify their shared desire to steer app users toward a central software authority.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Apple and Google do differ in their handling of third party apps \u2014 iOS doesn\u2019t allow them while Android permits \u201csideloading\u201d apps \u2014 a fact that changed the shape of Epic\u2019s battle against Google. Still, Google cautions customers against installing external apps and the process isn\u2019t nearly as straightforward as simply downloading something on Google Play.<\/p>\n On the face of those facts, it wasn\u2019t obvious that Epic would prevail in its case against Google Play\u2019s relatively less restricted ecosystem, but prevail it did.<\/p>\n \u201cToday\u2019s verdict is a win for all app developers and consumers around the world,\u201d Epic Games wrote in a statement about the verdict. \u201cIt proves that Google\u2019s app store practices are illegal and they abuse their monopoly to extract exorbitant fees, stifle competition and reduce innovation.\u201d<\/p>\n Epic praised regulation in the works that could place further limitations on Apple and Google\u2019s dominant software practices, citing the UK\u2019s Digital Markets, Competition and Consumer Bill and the EU\u2019s Digital Markets Act in the EU.<\/p>\n In a statement provided to TechCrunch, Google\u2019s VP of Government Affairs & Public Policy Wilson White confirmed the company\u2019s plans to appeal.<\/p>\n \u201cWe plan to challenge the verdict. Android and Google Play provide more choice and openness than any other major mobile platform,\u201d White said. \u201c\u2026 We will continue to defend the Android business model and remain deeply committed to our users, partners, and the broader Android ecosystem.\u201d<\/p>\n If any of this sounds familiar, it\u2019s likely because Epic took the same fight to Apple. That much-publicized campaign began with a spoof on Apple\u2019s iconic \u201c1984\u201d advertisement<\/a> and culminated in a mixed ruling<\/a> two years ago.<\/p>\n The court\u2019s decision mostly favored Apple, though did require the iPhone maker to open up its software market by allowing developers to direct customers to alternative payment options. In September, both<\/a> companies<\/a> asked the Supreme Court to reconsider the ruling and take on the case, so basically everything is still up in the air.<\/p>\n Epic began pointing Fortnite players to direct downloads back in 2018, steering them away from Google\u2019s Play Store. In 2020, Epic released Fortnite through Google\u2019s official app marketplace, but still slammed the company for discouraging users from downloading third-party apps. Now, the popular game is no longer available on Google Play, nor can it be installed on iOS devices through Apple\u2019s App Store.<\/p>\n This won\u2019t be the last we hear of Epic\u2019s multi-front battle; Google is sure to appeal soon. Still, between the somewhat unexpected win in court and last week\u2019s massive launch of Lego Fortnite<\/a>, which attracted more than 2.4 million concurrent players, everything is coming up Epic right now.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n