San Francisco.– A federal court jury determined this Monday that Google's Android application store has been protected by barriers to competition that have harmed phone consumers and software developers, representing a serious blow to one of the most important pillars. important parts of a technological empire.
The unanimous verdict came after just three hours of deliberation following a four-week trial that revolved around a lucrative payment system within the Google Pay store. The store is the main place where hundreds of millions of people around the world download and install apps that run on phones running Google's Android software.
Epic Games, creator of the popular video game Fortnite, filed a lawsuit against Google three years ago, arguing that the internet powerhouse has been abusing its power to shield its store from competitors in order to protect a gold mine that it generates billions of dollars annually. Like Apple with its iPhone application store, Google charges a commission that ranges between 15% and 30% for digital transactions made within the apps.
Apple prevailed in a similar case Epic brought against the iPhone App Store, but the 2021 lawsuit was decided by a federal judge in a ruling that is under appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.
But the nine jurors in the Google Play store case apparently saw things differently, even though Google technically allows Android apps to be downloaded from different stores, an option that Apple prohibits on the iPhone.
Shortly before the Play Store trial began, Google attempted to prevent a jury from determining the outcome, but U.S. District Judge James Donato denied its request. It will now be up to Donato to determine what steps Google will need to take to end its illegal behavior in the App Store. The judge indicated that he will hold hearings on the matter during the second week of January.
Epic CEO Tim Sweeney smiled broadly after the verdict was read, patted his lawyers on the back, and shook the hand of a Google lawyer, whom he thanked for his professional attitude. during the process.
Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the outcome of the trial.
#Google #loses #antitrust #case #Epic #Games