Google and Epic Games have reached a settlement in their years-long antitrust lawsuit, marking the end of a bitter court battle. The two tech giants have submitted a modified order to US District Judge James Donato, who originally imposed strict rules on Google after it lost the case.
Under the new proposal, Google is committing to expanding developer choice and flexibility, while lowering fees for app developers on Google Play. This move aims to promote competition in the mobile market, particularly with regards to in-app billing services for Android devices.
Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney praised the settlement, stating that it "genuinely doubles down" on Android's original vision as an open platform, allowing competing store installs and reducing service fees for developers. The company had initially sued Google in 2020, alleging that it held a monopoly over app distribution and in-app billing.
In a recent court decision, the judge sided with Epic Games, handing Google an injunction requiring major changes to the Play Store. As part of this ruling, Google was prohibited from paying manufacturers to exclusively install and distribute on the Play Store, as well as forcing developers to use its payment system exclusively.
However, under the new proposal, these restrictions are being relaxed, with Google agreeing to allow third-party app stores to be installed on Android devices. The company will also have to adhere to "reasonable, neutral criteria" that third-party stores must meet in order to compete with the Play Store.
The settlement includes several key modifications, including the ability for developers and users to seamlessly use alternative payment mechanisms while adhering to Google's security standards. The companies have also specified maximum fees that Google can charge for external payments and established criteria for third-party stores to be considered "reasonable" and "neutral".
Google President of Android Ecosystem Sameer Samat said that the proposed changes would resolve the litigation, marking a significant shift in the company's approach to its mobile platform. With the settlement approved by Judge Donato, Google will have to implement these modifications, effectively ending a major antitrust dispute with Epic Games.
Under the new proposal, Google is committing to expanding developer choice and flexibility, while lowering fees for app developers on Google Play. This move aims to promote competition in the mobile market, particularly with regards to in-app billing services for Android devices.
Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney praised the settlement, stating that it "genuinely doubles down" on Android's original vision as an open platform, allowing competing store installs and reducing service fees for developers. The company had initially sued Google in 2020, alleging that it held a monopoly over app distribution and in-app billing.
In a recent court decision, the judge sided with Epic Games, handing Google an injunction requiring major changes to the Play Store. As part of this ruling, Google was prohibited from paying manufacturers to exclusively install and distribute on the Play Store, as well as forcing developers to use its payment system exclusively.
However, under the new proposal, these restrictions are being relaxed, with Google agreeing to allow third-party app stores to be installed on Android devices. The company will also have to adhere to "reasonable, neutral criteria" that third-party stores must meet in order to compete with the Play Store.
The settlement includes several key modifications, including the ability for developers and users to seamlessly use alternative payment mechanisms while adhering to Google's security standards. The companies have also specified maximum fees that Google can charge for external payments and established criteria for third-party stores to be considered "reasonable" and "neutral".
Google President of Android Ecosystem Sameer Samat said that the proposed changes would resolve the litigation, marking a significant shift in the company's approach to its mobile platform. With the settlement approved by Judge Donato, Google will have to implement these modifications, effectively ending a major antitrust dispute with Epic Games.
. I mean, I knew there were some shady practices going on, but I didn't think it'd come down to a full-on lawsuit 
. It's cool that Epic Games is getting the recognition they felt was due, especially with Tim Sweeney being all passionate about Android being an open platform 
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. And let's be real, Google needs to keep those fees in check - devs need some serious financial backing if they wanna create more sick content 
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. We'll see how it all plays out, I guess 
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. either way, it's nice to see these two tech giants squaring off and coming out with something more beneficial for everyone involved 
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it's wild how much the industry has changed. Epic games finally getting what they wanted, allowing more freedom for devs to run their own stores, but at the same time, making google do some major changes to its play store policies... guess you could say justice is served kinda?
it's gonna be great to see more competition in the mobile market, especially with regards to in-app billing services 
... just kidding, kinda. So Google and Epic Games reach some sort of deal, aka "settlement", to end this whole antitrust drama that's been going on for ages. On the bright side, it seems like devs will get more freedom to choose how they pay for stuff on Android and less of a stranglehold from Google 
. Still, at least it's not as bad as some other antitrust cases out there 
it was getting pretty heated between them. but honestly, i think this is a win-win for everyone involved. like, who doesn't love more choices when it comes to apps on android? and reducing those service fees for devs will be a huge boost for indie game devs 
so like, google has to allow third-party stores to be installed on android devices, which is def a game changer for devs