SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – A federal judge on Friday ordered Google to open its Android app store to more competitors in an appeals court, citing legal questions surrounding a jury verdict that found Google a bad actor. has been postponed until it decides whether to block the reorganization. illegal monopolist.
The delay in a court hearing in San Francisco comes less than two weeks after U.S. District Judge James Donato’s ruling. made a decision If that happened, Google would have had to make major changes to the Play Store for Android smartphones starting November 1st.
The mandated changes include provisions requiring Google to make its library of more than 2 million Android apps available to rivals who want access to its inventory, and to distribute alternative options on its own Play Store. It was.
Google, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Judgment in December 2023characterized the Play Store as an illegal monopoly that stifles innovation and drives up consumer prices.
At Friday’s hearing, Donato scoffed at the idea that Google could succeed in overturning the trial verdict. “The decision in this case was well supported by a mountain of evidence regarding Google’s anticompetitive conduct,” the judge said.
But he decided to postpone it to the Ninth Circuit until a panel of judges decides it can consider Google’s appeal of the 2023 case, which focuses on antitrust claims filed by video game maker Epic Games. It was decided that an opportunity should be given to consider the matter.
Donato said he wouldn’t be surprised if the Ninth Circuit delayed the decision further, but “that’s for someone else to decide.”
Google said in a statement that it is satisfied that Donato pressed the pause button in an attempt to extend the delay further.
Google said, “These remedies threaten Google Play’s ability to provide a safe and secure experience, and we believe that our 100 million U.S. Android users, more than 500,000 U.S. developers, and We look forward to continuing to advocate to protect the thousands of partners who benefit from our platform.” .
Epic said in a statement that the suspension was a “procedural step,” noting Donato’s critical comments about the merits of Google’s appeal.
It’s unclear how long it will take for the Ninth Circuit to rule on Google’s request to permanently put Donato on hold while the appeals case proceeds, a process that could take more than a year.
In 2021, the Ninth Circuit postponed the following provisions: Another federal judge’s order As part of a separate antitrust lawsuit brought by Epic, it requires Apple to allow apps created for the iPhone to link to alternative payment systems.
Apple avoided being labeled an illegal monopolist in a lawsuit over the iPhone app store, but it was unable to contest a provision that required the company to allow alternative payment links within its apps. But delaying that requirement preserved Apple’s exclusive control over the payment system, which has charged fees of 15% to 30% on some e-commerce transactions that occur within apps. apple All avenues for appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court have been exhausted. At the beginning of this year.
Google also makes billions of dollars each year from a similar fee system in the Play Store for Android phones, which is allowed to continue as long as Google can prevent the Donato ruling from taking effect.
Amid claims that Google delayed Donato’s order to make sweeping changes that it characterized as “a daunting task that creates an unacceptable risk of safety and security flaws within the Android ecosystem” He said he was not given enough time. Epic blasted Google’s tactics as “fear-mongering” in a statement Friday.
Google also argued that the restructuring would impose unreasonable costs, a claim Donato also dismissed during Friday’s hearing.
“I don’t mean to be nit-picky, but the potential costs to Google seem paltry compared to the profits Google makes each year from the Play Store,” Donato said.
