Fabian Sommer/picture-alliance/dpa/AP
Illustration – April 28, 2021, Berlin: A smartphone screen displays the logo of the US Google company’s app Play Store.Photo credit: Fabian Sommer/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images
CNN
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Epic Games, the maker of the popular game Fortnite, filed a lawsuit in federal court today in a closely watched antitrust showdown that could change the way smartphone users get Android apps and pay for in-app content. Start a battle with Google.
Epic’s lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California targets the Google Play Store, and in addition to Google’s fees for in-app subscriptions and one-time transactions, Epic’s lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California targets It focuses on other conditions that it claims contributed to maintaining the monopoly. App distribution.
The legal battle comes after years of debate over whether app store operators like Google and Apple foster an open and competitive app ecosystem. The companies claim their app stores will generate billions of dollars in revenue for small and medium-sized businesses, while also allowing Android and iOS users to benefit from the security oversight provided by the tech giants.
The jury is likely to hear testimony from prominent witnesses on both sides, including Google CEO Sundar Pichai and Epic CEO Tim Sweeney.
The legal battle dates back to 2020, when Epic launched Project Liberty, a plan to circumvent Apple and Google’s app store terms. Epic’s move forces it into a showdown with the tech giant.
Epic has updated its Fortnite app to encourage players to pay for in-app content directly through Epic’s own website, rather than through Apple or Google’s in-app payment systems. This ploy resulted in a violation of the app store’s developer terms.
The move prompted both app stores to remove the Fortnite app from their platforms. This means that an Apple user can no longer play Fortnite on his iOS device. The Epic case involving Apple could soon be heard by the Supreme Court. Fortnite is still available on Android devices. Various channels outside of Google.
Meanwhile, Sweeney Suspect Google says it “controls, monitors, and taxes transactions between users and developers,” in violation of U.S. antitrust laws.
Google says Epic just wants to access the 2.5 billion Play Store users around the world without paying for platform support, and that Epic’s victory means Google’s ability to offer Android a competitive alternative to Apple’s iOS. He argued that it could cause damage.
“What’s most important to us is how Android has created more choice, flexibility, and openness than any other platform, and Epic is really taking advantage of that level of choice and flexibility. to show the jury what we do,” said Google Vice President Wilson White. Public Policy and Government Affairs. “As a result, the unnecessary claims they have brought should fail.”
The lawsuit against Google initially included a wide range of plaintiffs, including dozens of state attorneys general, individual consumers, and online dating giant Match Group, which owns apps such as Tinder, Hinge, and Match.But Google succeeded became narrower List of opponents you will face in court multiple payments Exclude other plaintiffs from the lawsuit.
Epic will now face Google alone in court.