A California jury ruled that Google violated antitrust laws by charging inappropriate fees and limiting competition from Epic Games and other developers in the Google Play app store and billing service. Court decisions in these cases could rewrite operating rules digital stores (in many millions of dollars).

Epic Games continues its crusade against the big app stores of Apple, Microsoft, and Google, and it’s having mixed results, pros and cons. One of the pending trials we told you about last month, in which the CEO of Epic Games described Google as “a ruthless bully who uses shady techniques to protect a predatory payment system”already has a resolution, although it must be said that the matter will continue in the higher courts.

Epic games against Google

Three years after the Fortnite creator sued Apple and Google for allegedly illegally managing and monopolizing their stores, Epic has a legal victory. After only three hours of deliberation, the jury unanimously answered all the questions put to it: that Google has monopoly power in Android application distribution markets; on in-app billing service markets; that Google practiced anti-competitive techniques in these markets and that Epic Games has been harmed by this conduct.

They also ruled that Google has an illegal connection between its Google Play app store and payment services. billingand that their distribution agreements, Project Hug, which deals with game developers and deals with OEMs, were all anti-competitive. Epic’s lawyers described the program as “bribes”which Google denied.

The jury also criticized Google’s agreements with Android phone makers such as Samsung, which require them to pre-install Google apps on their devices and set other types of mandatory rules if they want to license Android.

In a post on the company’s blog Epic Games were excited: “Today’s verdict is a victory for all app developers and consumers around the world. “This shows that Google’s App Store practices are illegal and that they are abusing their monopoly to charge exorbitant fees, stifle competition and reduce innovation.”.

As for Google, Wilson White, vice president of government affairs, assured plans to appeal the verdict and “we will continue to defend the Android business model”. He further emphasized the argument that they cannot be considered a monopoly because in the matter “we are clearly competing with Apple and its App Store, as well as app stores on Android devices and game consoles”. Let’s say here that Apple App Store is much more profitable than Google Play. “Android and Google Play offer more options and openness than any other major mobile platform”he emphasized.

And now this?

The case will continue in the U.S. District Court prior to notifying Google of the appeal. The judge in the case, James Donato, will have to decide the consequences of the sentence. Epic has never sued for financial damages and is generally asking the court to tell Google that any app developer is free to implement their own app stores and billing systems for Android.

We don’t know how this can be done in court, because of course Google can’t back down. The judge also said he did not intend to rule on what percentage Google should charge for its products, the percentage it charges developers. The two sides will meet with the judge in the second week of January to discuss possible “solutions.”

Paul Swanson, an antitrust attorney at Holland & Duro, said in an interview “Such a clear verdict will make it harder for Google to defeat Epic Games in the post-trial briefing and on appeal”and added that the district court process could be over in a few months, and Google’s appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit could take 12 to 18 months.

What we’ve said in previous weeks: grab some popcorn because the case is going to take a long time. Of course, Google must be worried because the very operation of large mobile app stores is at stake, nowadays essential for developers who want to distribute their games. The internet giant could be forced to adjust its Play Store rules to allow other companies to set up alternative Android stores and allow developers to sell in-app content.

Epic Games VS Google | Judgment