Important points
- The judge allows Google to continue its legal battle with Epic Games, and the Play Store will not be open to third parties.
- Google’s appeal buys time. For years, the app store hasn’t changed, and developers and consumers are waiting.
- The appeal process could shape the future of the Android ecosystem as the power struggle between the tech giants continues.
A bad month in court for Google, but today ended with good news for the company. A federal judge has granted Google a break from its legal battle with Epic Games. This means that Google doesn’t have to open up the Play Store to third parties, at least for now.
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This decision is sure to come as a huge relief to Google, which is approaching the November 1st deadline for changing its app store policies (via The Verge). A jury ruled earlier this month that the Play Store constitutes an illegal monopoly. The court initially ordered Google to allow third-party app stores within the Play Store and allow developers to process payments outside of the app store. It’s pending now.
Here’s what this decision means for Android users
The ruling by federal judge James Donato is a big one. This means Google won’t have to open the Play Store for years while it appeals the original ruling. Developers hoping to offer alternative app stores or payment options will have to wait. Consumers will still have to sideload alternative app stores and pay Google an additional 30% fee on purchases made through the Play Store.
Notably, Microsoft had already announced that it would be possible to buy and play games directly from the XBox app for Android. Gamers will have to wait until Google’s lawsuit plays out.
Google has filed an appeal against the original ruling, arguing that it is unfair given that Apple has been given a 90-day grace period to make changes in its 2021 legal battle with Epic Games. It started. Judge Donato temporarily suspended his decision. Google’s appeal will now be sent to the Ninth Circuit, which is expected to extend the hold period during the appeal process. That process can take years.
This is a significant development in the ongoing power struggle between tech giants and app developers over control of app distribution. The future of the Android ecosystem mobile app market All in all it works here. Time will tell whether the Court of Appeals will uphold the original ruling or side with Google.
