Epic Games' 'epic' win: Jury finds Google guilty of monopolistic practices in antitrust trial
Fortnite, Google
Fortnite maker Epic Games has wonits high-profile antitrust trial against Alphabet's Google. On Monday, the Jury in the case decided that Google wields an illegal monopoly through its Play app store. Google said that it would appeal. However, the ruling could upend the entire app store economy if it holds.
The case
Back in 2020, Epic sued both Google and Apple. It accused the tech titans of abusing their control of the Play Store and App Store, their respective online shops for selling apps.
It also accused Google of taking action to quash competitors and charging unduly high "tax" fees of up to 30 per cent to app developers.
As per Reuters, among the more sensational allegations was thatto conceal its anti-competitive behaviour, Google had a system for deleting texts and internal messages.
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Jurors found Google guilty of various illegal strategies to maintain its app store monopoly on Android phones.
If the ruling holds, it has the potential to give developers more sway over how their apps are distributed and how they profit from them.
Google to Appeal
The ruling marks a stunning, albeit rare, defeat for Google, which alongside Apple operates one of the world's largest app stores.
Following it, Google said that it would seek rectification via an appeal.
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"We will continue to defend the Android business model and remain deeply committed to our users, partners, and the broader Android ecosystem," said Wilson White, vice president of government affairs and public policy at Google.
Google has denied any wrongdoing. The company argued that it competes "intensely on price, quality, and security" against Apple's App Store.
Watch |Google and Epic Games face off at trial over Play Store rules
Proof of Google's 'illegal' practices
Epic CEO Tim Sweeney celebrated the ruling on the social media site X.
In a statement on its website, Epic said that the verdict "proves that Google's app store practices are illegal, and they abuse their monopoly to extract exorbitant fees, stifle competition and reduce innovation."
Epic's similar antitrust case against Apple failed in September 2021, when a US judge largely ruled in favour of the iPhone maker.
(With inputs from agencies)
