Google loses monopoly case to Fortnite maker Epic Games

So, a jury in the U.S. just dropped the verdict bomb – Google's been slapped with a guilty tag for running an illegal monopoly. Epic Games, the mastermind behind the Fortnite craze, threw down the gauntlet in 2020, suing Google and claiming it played dirty to make its app store the big boss in town, pushing rivals out of the game.

Now, here's the kicker: this app store is where hundreds of millions of folks snag their favourite apps for Android-powered smartphones. This ruling? It's a bit of a stumble for Google on a platform that's basically a tech empire cornerstone. 

So, after a bit over three hours of serious pondering, a squad of nine smart minds on a federal jury made their call. Epic Games, the brains behind Fortnite, totally aced it in the trial that unfolded over a whole month – just another chapter in their three-year legal showdown.

The San Francisco jury gave a firm nod to Epic, agreeing on all 11 questions. They basically said, "Yep, Google, you've been monopolising the smartphone app store scene, and your anticompetitive moves have been giving Epic a hard time."

Now, the plot thickens – Google might have to shake things up in its Play Store rulebook. Think more competition with other app stores and smoother sailing for developers to dodge the cut Google takes from in-app purchases. It's a legal drama with potential game-changing consequences!

Judge James Donato of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California will decide the remedies needed to address Google’s conduct next year. 

Google has said it would challenge the outcome. "Android and Google Play provide more choice and openness than any other major mobile platform," Wilson White, vice-president of government affairs and public policy at Google, said "The trial made clear that we compete fiercely with Apple and its App Store, as well as app stores on Android devices and gaming consoles," he added, "We will continue to defend the Android business model and remain deeply committed to our users, partners, and the broader Android ecosystem."

This verdict has given Epic Games a mega boost in its ongoing mission to loosen the grip that giants like Google and Apple have on the whole mobile app scene. This victory comes two years after Epic's somewhat less triumphant clash with Apple – a case they're both itching to take to the U.S. Supreme Court. And just to be clear, that earlier Apple ruling? It was decided by a judge.

Now, in this showdown with Google that Epic kicked off in 2020, they were basically aiming for a bigger slice of the in-app purchase pie and dreaming of their very own app store that could go toe-to-toe with Google's Play on the Android scene.

But here's the twist: Google was juggling Epic's claims while doing a bit of courtroom dance in another antitrust trial in D.C. Yep, the Department of Justice and a bunch of states had Google on trial, accusing the tech giant of flexing its muscles to illegally keep a monopoly in search and advertising. Hold onto your seats because that one's going to shape the future of tech power, and we'll get the verdict scoop next year!

Epic just dropped the mic with a blog post calling the verdict a victory dance for "all app developers and consumers worldwide." According to them, Google's been playing dirty with its app store, doing some illegal dance moves to rake in crazy fees, stifle competition, and squash innovation. 

Tim Sweeney, Epic's head honcho, took to X (you know, that place that used to be called Twitter) and shouted, "Free Fortnite!" after the big win. Epic moment, no doubt! 

Epic threw the first punch in the ring with Google by letting users snag in-app goodies straight from them, skipping Google's rules altogether. Well, Google wasn't having it, swiftly kicking Fortnite to the curb. Epic, not one to back down, fired back with a lawsuit. It's been a wild showdown ever since! Paul Swanson, an antitrust lawyer at the firm Holland & Hard, said, “The stark reality is that Google finally had to face its consumers in the court of law.”