The ongoing legal battle between Google and Fortnite-maker Epic Games has taken another turn. A recent ruling involved quick and extensive tweaks to the well-known Play Store. The company was required to adopt these measures in favor of fair competition in the sector. However, a US appeals court has temporarily paused the changes to Google’s app store. The decision gives Google some breathing room as it prepares to fight the court’s order.
Google’s app store changes paused by an appeals court
Recently, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld an injunction from a lower court. The latter would have forced Google to make significant tweaks to its Play Store. The list included allowing rival app stores on Android devices and making its app catalog available to those competitors. However, the company argued that the order would hurt its ability to compete and introduce security risks for users and developers. So, they immediately requested a temporary stay.
Now, as reported by Reuters, the appeals court agreed. They paused the required Google’s app store changes until August 8th to file for a longer-term one while the firm pursues further appeals. The company could even take the case to the U.S. Supreme Court.
This legal drama dates back to 2020. That year, Epic Games sued both Google and Apple, accusing them of monopolizing how consumers access and pay for apps on their mobile devices. A key moment in the legal saga came in 2023, when a jury sided with Epic. The jury determined that Google had created and maintained an illegal monopoly with its Android app distribution and in-app billing policies. This verdict led to the recent injunction that Google is now fighting.
Why Epic Games fared better against Google than against Apple
It’s worth noting that Epic’s case against Google had a different outcome than its suit against Apple, which a judge largely ruled against in 2021. The appellate court panel acknowledged this. They explained that the claims against Google focused specifically on competition within the Android ecosystem, which presented “meaningfully different commercial realities” than the Apple case.
As Google continues to appeal, the tech world will be watching closely. The outcome of this case could notably impact the future of the app store business model. It could potentially change forever how millions of Android users download and pay for their favorite apps. For now, the Play Store as we know it remains in place, but the legal fight is far from over.
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