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Epic Games has filed a proposed injunction that would prevent Google from restricting the distribution of third-party apps outside of the Google Play store on Android devices after proving that Google has an illegal monopoly on Android app distribution markets.
Epic suggests that competition on the Android mobile platform would be opened up if a court ordered Google to allow third-party app stores to distribute in the Google Play store for six years and block Google from entering into any agreements with device manufacturers that would stop third-party app stores from pre-empting third-party app stores. are loading. That would benefit both developers and mobile users, Epic argued in a sweeping proposal that would greatly limit Google’s control over the Android app ecosystem.
U.S. District Court Judge James Donato will ultimately decide the terms of the ban. Google has until May 3 to respond to Epic’s submission.
A Google spokesperson confirmed to Ars that Google still plans to appeal the ruling—even though Google has already agreed to a $700 million settlement with consumers and states following Epic’s victory.
“Epic’s filing in US Federal Court shows again that it simply wants the benefits of Google Play without paying for it,” a Google spokesperson said. “We will continue to challenge the ruling, as Android is an open mobile platform that faces stiff competition from the Apple App Store, as well as the app store on Android devices, PCs and game consoles.”
If Donato accepts Epic’s proposal, Google will have to grant equal access to the Android operating system and platform features to all developers, not just developers who distribute apps through Google Play. This would allow third-party app stores to own app updates, updating all apps downloaded from their stores as seamlessly as Google Play updates apps.
According to Epic’s terms, any app downloaded from anywhere will work identically to apps downloaded from Google Play, without Google imposing any unnecessary distribution fees. Similarly, developers could offer their own in-app purchase options and inform users about out-of-app purchase options, without having to use Google’s APIs or pay additional fees to Google.
Namely, Epic filed a lawsuit after Google removed the Epic game Fortnite from the Google Play Store because Epic tried to offer an “Epic Direct Payment” option for in-game purchases.
“Google must also allow developers to communicate directly with their consumers, including connecting their app to a site for shopping and getting offers,” Epic said in a blog post. “Google would be blocked from using fraudulent compliance programs such as user-choice billing to prevent competing in-app payment options or on a developer’s website.”
Not surprisingly, Epic’s proposed injunction includes an “anti-retaliation” section specifically aimed at protecting Epic from any further retaliation. If Donato accepts the terms, Google would be in violation of the injunction unless the tech giant can prove it is not “treating Epic differently from other developers” by making it “disproportionately difficult or expensive” for Epic to develop, update and market its Android app.
That part of the ban would seem important from last month’s Epic announced that the Epic Games Store is “coming to iOS and Android” later this year. According to Inc, Epic told Game Developers Conference attendees that its app distribution platform will be “the first multiplatform store focused on games,” running on “Android, iOS, PC and macOS.”