"Fortnite" developer Epic wins monopoly case against Google
The court must now decide what consequences will result from the jury's verdict. Google immediately announced an appeal against the verdict.
Epic Games took Google to court in 2020. The bone of contention was the fees of around 30 percent that Google retains on app sales. The"Fortnite" developer accused Google of an illegal monopoly.
Epic Games also sued the technology company Apple in 2020. In these proceedings, a Californian federal judge ruled in 2021 that Apple had to open up the payment system of its app store to developers. At the same time, the judge rejected Epic Games' accusation that Apple had a monopoly. The trial against Google only began in early November.
The operating systems from Apple and Google, iOS and Android, run on the majority of smartphones. Epic Games took on the two companies in 2020 and released an update with its own payment system that bypasses Apple's App Store and Google's Play Store. The two technology companies then pulled the plug on the "Fortnite" app for mobile devices, and Epic Games took the dispute to court.
Unlike iPhone manufacturer Apple, Google does allow Android users access to other platforms for downloading apps and games. However, Epic Games argues that the system is in fact hardly more open than Apple's iOS. Google secures its market power through contracts with other companies, among other things.
Apple and Google repeatedly argue that the commission on app sales of 30 percent is in line with the market. The revenue generated by this is necessary to guarantee the security of the app marketplaces and payments.
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Source: www.stern.de
