The outcome of the antitrust lawsuit filed by Epic Games against Google regarding the Play Store is expected to have widespread consequences in the mobile app industry.
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In the jury’s opinion, Epic demonstrated that “Google intentionally acquired or maintained monopoly power by engaging in anti-competitive practices” in the global Android app distribution market and the Android in-app billing services for digital products and services transactions, excluding China.
The decision follows Epic’s loss in a similar case against Apple, which it is appealing. Google also plans to challenge the verdict.
Why did Google face a different outcome compared to Apple? And what are the implications of this ruling for the app industry? Let’s delve into these questions.
A contrast in approach
Looking back, the distinctions between Epic’s legal battle against Apple and Google were evident to some. Reflecting on the outcome, tech and market analyst Ben Thompson pointed out that he highlighted the crucial disparity between the two cases years ago. According to him, Apple operated a completely closed ecosystem, while Google offered a semblance of openness, which was contradicted by its agreements with original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) responsible for producing the hardware for its mobile operating system. This made the two lawsuits far from identical.
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