Google found guilty of maintaining illegal monopoly in Epic Games lawsuit

In the Epic Games v. Google case, the jury has determined that Google maintains an illegal monopoly over the Google Play Store and Google Pay Billing service. This unanimous verdict affirms Google's monopoly power in the Android app distribution and in-app billing sectors. Google's actions were deemed anticompetitive, negatively impacting Epic Games, and the jury found an illegal connection between Google's app store and its billing services.

The jury also examined Google's Project Hug distribution agreement with game developers and Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), terming it as anticompetitive. The case exposed hidden revenue sharing agreements between Google, smartphone manufacturers, and major game developers, designed to keep competitor app stores at bay. Google, however, plans to challenge the verdict, emphasizing its rivalry with Apple and other app stores on Android devices and gaming consoles.

Epic Games has praised the verdict as a win for all app developers and consumers, arguing that Google's app store practices are illegal and involve monopoly power abuse, high fees, limited competition, and decreased innovation. This win is especially significant for Epic Games, considering its previous loss against Apple, and even for the already confirmed Microsoft Xbox mobile app store. The exact remedies awarded to Epic Games are yet to be determined, with Judge on the case set to decide on them in the second week of January.