Google’s legal defeat at the hands of Fortnite maker Epic Games Inc. threatens 
to roil an app store duopoly with Apple Inc. that generates close to $200 
billion a year and dictates how billions of consumers use mobile devices.

The loss — handed down by a San Francisco jury on Monday — is a blow to the two 
companies’ business model in apps, where they charge commissions of as much as 
30% to software developers who typically have few other options. Google shares 
were down less than 1% in New York Tuesday morning at $132.62.

Epic has spent years railing against the practice and got a federal jury to 
agree that Alphabet Inc.’s Google unit had acted unfairly as a monopoly. The 
case is likely to accelerate the weakening of app store rules, which have 
already come under fire from regulators and lawmakers around the world.

“The dominoes are going to start falling here,” Tim Sweeney, chief executive 
officer of Epic, said in an interview after the verdict. “The end of 30% is in 
sight.”

Though Apple won a similar case against Epic in 2021, that ruling was made by a 
single judge. The nature of the Google suit — where a jury sided unanimously 
with Epic — let actual consumers weigh in on the world of smartphone apps. In 
under four hours of deliberations, they found that Google had engaged in 
anticompetitive conduct, harmed Epic and illegally forced its own billing 
system on developers.

There were other significant differences between the Apple and Google trials. 
During the current case, Epic highlighted agreements Google reached with top 
game developers, including Activision Blizzard Inc. and Nintendo Co., for 
smaller fees.

“Revenue sharing deals among Google, smartphone makers and game developers came 
to light during the trial,” Justin Patterson and other analysts at KeyBanc 
Capital Markets wrote in a note to clients. “We believe this was a key 
difference between the cases that contributed to Apple’s victory and Google’s 
loss.”

In Apple’s App Store, the same 30% take rate was applied evenly, while Google 
was attempting to steer traffic away from rival app stores on Android, analysts 
at Jefferies wrote in a note. “Meanwhile, Apple simply does not allow any rival 
app stores whatsoever.”

The battle began in 2020, when Fortnite was kicked off the Apple and Google 
Play app stores because the game developer installed its own payment system. 
The idea was to bypass the up-to-30% revenue share that the two tech giants 
take from in-app purchases and subscriptions on their platforms. In response, 
Epic sued both companies.

Google also has drawn criticism for making side deals with big developers like 
Spotify Technology SA where it offers lower commissions. In Monday’s decision, 
the jury found that Google shouldn’t require Android app developers to use its 
billing system for software sold through its store — and that it shouldn’t 
offer custom agreements to certain developers.

“The immediate aftereffect is we will see a shift in the marketplace where big 
tech companies will have to make accommodations — whether it is more access, 
better terms, more options for developers — to stave off legal exposure,” said 
Paul Swanson, a partner at Holland & Hart who specializes in technology and 
antitrust law.

Continua qui:
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-12-12/google-s-epic-legal-defeat-threatens-200-billion-app-store-industry
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