Google has lost a landmark lawsuit brought against it by game developer Epic Games, which accused the tech giant of using the App Store as an illegal monopoly, in a decision that could completely shake up how app stores operate, Reuters reported.

A jury ruled in favor of Epic Games on all charges brought by the North Carolina company. The legal battle between Epic Games and Google began in August 2020 after the tech giant removed “Fortnite,” the North Carolina-based studio’s flagship game, from the App Store.

Google argued for the decision that “Fortnite” allowed users to make purchases directly from the game’s app, which helped Epic Games avoid the 30% commission imposed by Google.

But Epic Games claims in a complaint filed in a US court that the fee is illegal and used by Google to stifle competition for its own apps.

After the announcement of the jury’s decision, the court where the case was considered will begin to analyze possible measures to correct the situation. Discussions are expected to begin in January.

Reuters notes that the decision is a stunning defeat for Google, which operates one of the world’s largest app stores.

If the decision is upheld on appeal, it could give app developers a tough say in how they are distributed and sold. Google has already announced that it will challenge this decision in the appeals court.

Google rejects the decision of the American jury

“We will continue to defend the Android business model and remain deeply committed to our users, partners and the broader Android ecosystem,” Wilson White, Google’s vice president of public policy, said after the decision.

On Monday, Tim Sweeney welcomed the ruling on “X,” formerly of Twitter, saying it pointed to a “monopoly on Google Play.”

Lawyers for the two companies wrapped up their arguments on Monday, when the federal judge before whom the case was brought instructed the jury that any decision they reach must be unanimous.

One of the main accusations made by Epic Games was that Google illegally used its ties to the Play Store and its payment service, forcing developers to use both to place their applications on the online store.

Although the Play Store brings in a much smaller percentage of Google’s total revenue than the company’s search advertising, the online app store is symbolic for the company because it is the channel through which apps used by billions of phones and devices are downloaded. mobile phones that use the Android operating system.

If the US court’s decision is upheld on appeal, it could force the tech giant to allow more apps on Android devices, thereby losing revenue from the tax collected on purchases made through the App Store.

The developer of “Fortnite” is happy with a milestone victory in court

“[Verdictul] proves that the practices of the Google App Store are illegal and that they are abusing their monopoly position to collect exorbitant fees, stifle competition and stifle innovation,” Epic Games said in a statement posted on the company’s website.

“The court shines a bright light on what Google has been doing to intimidate competitors,” Gary Bornstein, one of Epic Games’ lawyers, told jurors, adding that Google “systematically blocks” alternative apps from the app store.

Instead, Jonathan Kravis, one of Google’s lawyers, argued that “Google doesn’t want to lose 60 million Android users to Apple every year.” He also noted that Google has lowered its commission system to compete with the app store of the company founded by Steve Jobs.

“This is not the behavior of a company that occupies a monopoly position,” he said. Epic Games filed a similar complaint against Apple in 2020, but in September 2021, a federal judge ruled in favor of the company founded by Jobs.

The game studio appealed to the US Supreme Court to review the decision, but US constitutional judges have yet to rule on the case.

PHOTO Article: Andrejstanescu | Dreamstime.com.