The Android maker has been found guilty of violating several anti-trust laws for years and it’s about time someone noticed, experts believe.
But it’s astonishing to see the verdict finally attain the response that the Fortnite makers had hoped for after watching big shots like Google and Apple continue to deny the accusations and instead justify the act. This was by adding how all rules in place were designed to benefit the masses.
Victory over Google! After 4 weeks of detailed court testimony, the California jury found against the Google Play monopoly on all counts. The Court’s work on remedies will start in January. Thanks for everyone’s support and faith! Free Fortnite! https://t.co/ITm4YBHCus
— Tim Sweeney (@TimSweeneyEpic) December 12, 2023
Such a decision, if it stands true after the search engine giant appeals, may transform the manner through which Google and Apple dominate the general market distribution seen throughout apps and devices on different third parties.
As far as the details regarding the proceedings are concerned, it’s remarkable to see how the jury kept on agreeing with whatever suggestions and claims were made through Epic Games. This was in regards to how Google continues to dominate in terms of monopoly throughout app distribution in various markets as well as different in-app billing services found today. As a result, they felt Epic Games continued to lose out and it was about time something was done in this regard.
As per the jury’s findings, Google was found guilty of having illegal ties between its Play Store and Play Billing services. Similarly, its Project Hug agreement entails developers linked to the gaming world and OEMs were also seen behaving in an anti-competitive manner as well.
The court case lasted for a staggering four-week period where plenty of details were discussed and different testimonies were taken into consideration. Hence, the jury located in California found so many flaws in Google’s behavior which was certainly behaving like a monopoly in several accounts.
The workings of the Court would come into play as early as the start of next year. And while search engine giant Google might not be happy, the rest of the world is, especially the makers behind Fort Nite, Epic Games.
The victory was announced by the company’s CEO who shared the news through his profile on X in terms of the final verdict.
On the other end, Google is not happy and has full confidence in its power to challenge the ruling. The Android maker’s VP for governmental affairs and policies linked to the public says it all had to do with fierce competition involving Apple and the App Store. The same is seen across Google’s Play Store and a host of top gaming consoles too. They vow to defend the company’s name in terms of its business model outlined for Android and feel they’ve done nothing wrong that could harm users or fellow rivals working in the industry.
To put things in review, Epic Games renewed its famous Fortnite Game across iOS and Android devices and gave room for more options seen by various players. They paved the way to make purchases for virtual items through direct means on Epic Games and ended up bypassing the Android maker’s chance of attaining a staggering 30% share found on in-app purchases.
In the same manner, both iPhone maker Apple and Google ended up removing Epic Games from their respective App and Play Stores, claiming Epic Games went against their respective policies.
And in the end, that was a lot to digest so Epic Games sued both firms and added how their dominating behavior was giving rise to anti-competitive behavior as it was characteristic of monopoly behavior.
A huge chunk of the legal case failed to prove its significance when Cupertino firm Apple came into the picture and even on appeal, they just couldn’t be granted victory. And that’s when Epic Games it was time to turn to the Supreme Court.
Seeing Epic Games go through painstaking efforts to prove their point is evidence of how one should never lose hope and stand true to what their claims are. If the Fortnite makers did not appeal to the bigger Supreme Court, it didn’t seem like Google would ever be held accountable for the behavior.
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by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World
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