The maker of the popular video game Fortnite has begun its legal battle with Google in a San Francisco court. The firm accused Google of acting as a monopoly – charging 30% commission on in-app purchases on Google Play store.
Epic Games accused Google of turning its back on its “Don’t be Evil” motto, which the company coined when it was founded in 1998. Google however argued that there were plenty of other ways to download apps on Android phones. The company has long said that it competes with Apple – and rejects the idea that Google Play is monopolistic.
The trial opened up another anti-trust front against Google. The company is also defending itself in a court in Washington – where the US justice department has accused the company of holding an illegal monopoly over search.
Epic took Apple to court in 2021 with a very similar case. In 2020, Fortnite was pulled from Google Play and the App Store, for using its own payments system. The judge in that case rejected the idea that Apple was a monopoly, however did allow apps to steer users away from Apple’s in-app charges.
Epic argued that Google has “eliminated competition in the distribution of Android apps using myriad contractual and technical barriers.” However Google countered the allegation, saying there is more competition when it comes to apps than on any other operating system. “Android is the only major mobile platform that gives developers multiple ways to distribute apps” the company said.
