Lawyers representing Google, a subsidiary of Alphabet, and Epic Games, the creators of "Fortnite," are scheduled to present arguments in a California appeals court on Monday regarding a jury verdict and court order that Google is seeking to reverse. Google contends that legal errors in the antitrust case favored Epic Games.
Epic Games filed a lawsuit in 2020 against Google, alleging that the tech giant had a monopoly on app accessibility and in-app transaction payments on Android devices. A San Francisco jury ruled in 2023 that Google had unlawfully restricted competition.
Judge James Donato directed Google in October to enhance competition by allowing users to access alternative app stores within the Play Store and making its app catalog available to competitors. Pending the 9th Circuit review, this directive is temporarily suspended.
Google argues that its Play Store competes vigorously with Apple's App Store and challenges the notion that Google and Apple are not competitors in app distribution and payments. Google also contests the nationwide impact of the order, accusing the judge of overstepping by affecting all users and developers, not solely Epic.
Epic urges the 9th Circuit to dismiss Google's claims, accusing Google of deliberately hindering competition in app stores and payment platforms. Epic is committed to upholding the jury's decision and the court's injunction, holding Google accountable for anti-competitive actions.
Support for Epic has been expressed by Microsoft, the U.S. Justice Department, and the Federal Trade Commission. A ruling from the 9th Circuit is expected later this year, with a possibility of further appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.