Epic vs. Google Verdict Is a Resounding Win for Fortnite's Developer
The Epic vs. Google verdict is in, and it's a resounding victory for the developer Fortnite. A jury found that Google used it monopoly power on Android to injure Epic, turning the tables in the developer's years-long series of legal battles. The news was first reported by The Verge.
It's unclear what the result will mean for Epic and Google in the long-term; but in the short-term, it's a sharp rebuke against the entrenched ecosystem on Android, where Google can essentially collect a tax from any developer wanting to use it. Epic hopes to overturn this system and allow developers to introduce their own payment platforms, which stands to earn them hundred of millions or even billions of dollars in additional revenue.
Victory over Google! After 4 weeks of detailed court testimony, the California jury found against the Google Play monopoly on all counts. The Court’s work on remedies will start in January. Thanks for everyone’s support and faith! Free Fortnite! https://t.co/ITm4YBHCus
Epic's suits against Apple have been largely unsuccessful, with Apple even managing to successfully counter-sue for breach of contract. But in the Google case, the jury found that the tech giant has an anticompetitive monopoly in the app distribution market, and that there's an illegal tie between the Google Play app store and the Google Play billing service.
Epic CEO Tim Sweeny quickly took to X/Twitter to celebrate the win in court. "Victory over Google! After 4 weeks of detailed court testimony, the California jury found against the Google Play monopoly on all counts. The Court’s work on remedies will start in January. Thanks for everyone’s support and faith! Free Fortnite!"
IGN has reached out to Epic for comment.
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