The dispute between the creators of Fortnite and Android has been going on for over three years. In mid-2020, Epic Games opposed the policies of Apple and Google, which resulted in their game being removed from both app stores. The studio sued the giants, accusing them of monopolistic practices and stating that they control the market as part of a duopoly.
Epic Games wins over Google. This could have serious consequences for the market
It was a 30 percent commission that both Apple and Google collect on most transactions, including those within the application. Epic Game wanted to free micropayments from this cost, so it decided to bypass the system by introducing its own payment model.
Now Epic Games has won the three-year battle with Google. A California court found that the American giant’s practices in the case of the Play application store are indeed monopolistic in nature and violate California law. The studio responsible for Fortnite, which presents itself in the dispute as a defender of all application publishers, claims that the verdict is “beneficial to all application developers and consumers around the world.” Theoretically, it could lead to the abolition of commissions or loosening of practices of the California giants, which is what many smaller players are waiting for.
In a statement, Google admitted that it did not agree with the judgment and intended to appeal. The company believes that Android and the Google Play Store provide “more choice and openness than any other major mobile platform.” She also stressed that she would defend the “Android business model”.
The verdict is a great surprise because the court had previously ruled that Apple did not break antitrust law in the same case. It was then decided that the iPhone manufacturer’s practices were fully legal and Epic Games should respect the company’s policy. At the same time, it was stated that each application publisher has the right to include links to external sites where fees can be paid.
Source: Gazeta
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