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The Verge
31-07-2025
- Business
- The Verge
Epic just won its Google lawsuit again, and Android may never be the same
Epic has won again. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals will not overturn the unanimous jury verdict from 2023 that Google's app store and payments system have become illegal monopolies — and it appears to be pressing play on a previously paused permanent injunction that would crack open Android to undo the damage of those monopolies. Today, a three-judge panel affirmed the lower court's decision in Epic v. Google, according to an full opinion you can read below — and Google will now appeal again, the company confirms to The Verge. It could be appealed to the Supreme Court next. Judge M. Margaret McKeown begins her opinion for the panel: In the world of adrenaline-fueled survival that epitomizes the video game Fortnite, winners are decided in blazes of destruction and glory. By contrast, the outcome of this case—centered on Fortnite's developer, Epic Games, and the Google Android platform—turns on longstanding principles of trial procedure, antitrust, and injunctive remedies. 'Total victory in the Epic v Google appeal!' tweets Epic CEO Tim Sweeney. Google will appeal: 'This decision will significantly harm user safety, limit choice, and undermine the innovation that has always been central to the Android ecosystem. Our top priority remains protecting our users, developers and partners, and maintaining a secure platform as we continue our appeal,' writes Google global head of regulatory affairs Lee-Anne Mulholland in a statement shared with The Verge. But the Google Play Store may not be protected from the consequences of its monopoly while Google appeals — it may need to start cracking open Android for third-party stores the way Judge James Donato ruled in his permanent injunction back in 2024. Last October, Donato pressed pause on all but one specific piece of his ruling while Google appealed, but today, Judge McKeown writes 'The stay motion on appeal is denied as moot in light of our decision.' 'The stay is lifted,' Epic spokesperson Cat McCormack confirms to The Verge. And as a result, Epic says it will put its own app store within Google's app store. 'Thanks to the verdict, the Epic Games Store for Android will be coming to the Google Play Store!' Sweeney tweeted. The consequences of the full permanent injunction would stretch far beyond Epic's game Fortnite: they would force Google to effectively open up its app store to competition for three whole years. Google would have to distribute other rival app stores within the Google Play store, too, give rivals access to the full catalog of Google Play apps, and it would be banned from a variety of anticompetitive practices including a requirement that apps use Google Play Billing. You can read a summary of the details here. Epic originally sued both Google and Apple in 2020 over the removal of its hit game Fortnite from both stores, though the case was more complicated than that. Epic intentionally used Fortnite as a wedge to challenge the app store monopolies, and in the case of Apple, it mostly lost. The appeals court did recognize Epic's gambit today, writing that 'Google removed Fortnite from the Play Store after Epic embedded secret code into the app's software' that bypassed Google's payment systems. (Epic has never denied it.) But Epic v. Google turned out to be a very different case, we saw when attending the trial in person and reading all the receipts. A jury saw secret revenue sharing deals between Google, smartphone makers, and game developers. The jury saw internal emails between Google execs that suggested Google was scared of how Epic might convince its fellow game developers to join or create rival app stores, creating unwanted competition for Google. Here are a few thoughts about why Epic won against Google, but not Apple. Today, the Ninth Circuit rejected the idea that the decision in the Apple case should impact the Google case, at least in terms of the all-important question of market definition, aka 'can Google really have a monopoly on Android apps if it's competing against Apple?' 'The market definition question was neither identical to the issue in this case nor litigated and decided in Apple,' McKeown writes, adding that the 'commercial realities are different': Apple's 'walled garden' is, as the district court in Apple noted, markedly different from Google's 'open distribution' approach […] Google admits as much, noting that 'Android's open philosophy offers users and developers wider choices' than iOS does, even as that openness 'limit[s] Google's ability to directly protect users from encountering malware and security threats when they download apps.' As a consequence of its business model, Apple does not license iOS to other OEMs in the way that Google licenses Android to Samsung, Motorola, and other smartphone manufacturers. She also uses McDonalds and Chick-fil-A to make a point that markets can overlap: McDonald's might compete against Chick-fil-A in the fast- food market yet not compete against Chick-fil-A in the hamburger fast-food market (and instead compete with Wendy's, Burger King, Sonic, and In-N-Out Burger. Although Google and Apple compete for mobile-gaming downloads and mobile-gaming in-app transactions, they do not compete in the Android-only app distribution and in-app billing markets. Those two markets, Android app distribution and in-app billing, are where a jury unanimously decided that Google has a monopoly. Developing… we're adding more to this story now, refresh in a few minutes for more. Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. 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Engadget
07-07-2025
- Business
- Engadget
Epic Games ends its antitrust lawsuit against Samsung
Epic Games has dropped its suit against Samsung. "We're dismissing our court case against Samsung following the parties' discussions," Epic CEO and founder Tim Sweeney posted on X. "We are grateful that Samsung will address Epic's concerns." The company filed the action in September. The lawsuit centered on the company's Auto Blocker feature, which only allows apps to be installed from the Google Play Store and Samsung Galaxy Store. Epic claimed this made it difficult for potential customers to use its own Epic Games Store and was a united effort by Google and Samsung to block that platform. Sweeney did not elaborate on what actions Samsung would take as a result of the negotiations. Epic Games has been quick to take its rivals to court. This suit followed a successful one it filed against Google on claims that the tech giant's operation of the Google Play Store violated US antitrust laws. The gaming company wasn't as fortunate when it pursued similar charges against Apple, but after several appeals Epic did force Apple to reverse course on transaction fees and it got Fortnite back in the App Store.
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Business Standard
02-05-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
Tech Wrap May 2: ASUS ROG laptops, Google Voice, Microsoft passkey support
ASUS ROG gaming laptops launched. Google Voice adds three-way calling. Microsoft new accounts are password-free by default. Spotify to roll out iOS app update. Google expands AI Mode in Search Tech Wrap May 2 BS Tech New Delhi Listen to This Article ASUS launches new ROG Strix, Zephyrus, Flow line gaming laptops ASUS, the Taiwanese electronics brand, has introduced its latest lineup of gaming laptops in India, featuring refreshed models from the ROG Strix, Zephyrus, and Flow series. These new laptops come equipped with Intel Core Ultra 9 and AMD Ryzen AI Max processors and are currently open for pre-orders in the Indian market. Google has rolled out an update for its Voice app, bringing a redesigned call interface and support for three-way conference calls. The enhancements are being gradually deployed and are accessible to select Google Workspace users. According to the official blog post, the updated call screen consolidates essential call controls into a single row. Microsoft is pushing further into a passwordless future. As of May 1, new Microsoft accounts will be set up without traditional passwords by default. Instead, users will be guided to adopt passkeys, which utilize face recognition, fingerprint scans, or PINs for secure authentication. Following a recent ruling in the Apple vs Epic legal battle, Spotify has submitted an iOS app update to Apple, enabling the app to display pricing and link users to its website for subscription transactions. The change reflects a shift in Apple's policies, which now prevent it from mandating exclusive use of its in-app purchase system. After a successful initial trial, Google is broadening the rollout of its AI Mode in Search. Initially introduced earlier this year, the feature is now available across the US via Search Labs, with no waitlist. Additionally, a dedicated AI Mode tab will be introduced in the coming weeks for select users of the Google app. Samsung is reportedly gearing up to unveil the ultra-slim Galaxy S25 Edge smartphone later this month. According to 9To5Google, several key specs — including its battery and camera — have emerged online. The device is anticipated to be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite processor, aligning it with the rest of the Galaxy S25 series. In the wake of its legal victory over Apple, Epic Games plans to enable developers to launch their own webshops through the Epic Games Store. These shops will allow players to make purchases outside of the Apple and Google app ecosystems. As Epic stated in a blog post: 'In June 2025, we are releasing a new feature enabling developers to launch their own webshops hosted by the Epic Games Store. These webshops can offer players out-of-app purchases, as a more cost-effective alternative to in-app purchases, where Apple, Google, and others charge exorbitant fees.' Perplexity CEO Aravind Srinivas posted on X that their WhatsApp bot is operational again after a short suspension caused by a dramatic increase in user activity. Previously, Srinivas had shared that the number of incoming queries "is far beyond anything we anticipated," prompting a temporary pause to allow scaling of backend infrastructure. Roughly three hours later, he confirmed the bot was back online. Samsung to use Exynos for Galaxy Z Flip 7, Snapdragon for Fold 7 Samsung is expected to use its proprietary Exynos 2500 system-on-chip (SoC) for the Galaxy Z Flip 7, while the Galaxy Z Fold 7 will likely feature a Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset. The South Korean tech giant is anticipated to showcase its 2025 foldable lineup during the Galaxy Unpacked event, which is expected to take place in July. A rare public disagreement unfolded on Thursday between Nvidia and Anthropic, an AI startup backed by Amazon, regarding US semiconductor export rules. New restrictions on AI chips are set to be implemented soon. An Nvidia spokesperson, speaking to CNBC, stated: 'American firms should focus on innovation and rise to the challenge, rather than tell tall tales that large, heavy, and sensitive electronics are somehow smuggled in 'baby bumps' or 'alongside live lobsters.'' Apple CEO Tim Cook confirmed that the company now sources half of the iPhones for the US market from India, citing lower tariffs compared to China. Speaking to CNBC after Apple's quarterly earnings, Cook also mentioned that Vietnam is now a key sourcing hub for other Apple products aimed at the US market. Still, he added that the company continues to produce the 'vast majority' of its devices for other regions in China. As part of its broader strategy to diversify its supply chain, Apple aims to procure more than $19 billion worth of chips from the US this year. CEO Tim Cook noted that Apple is increasingly relying on Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., which is expanding operations in Arizona with plans for multiple facilities. Cook also reiterated that in the near future, Apple expects to manufacture the majority of its US-bound iPhones in India, amid escalating trade tensions and tariff threats from the US towards China.
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Epic Games CEO calls Apple and Google 'gangster-style' businesses in need of competition
Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney, whose company makes Fortnite and tools for other developers, including Unreal Engine, called out Apple and Google as "gangster-style businesses" engaged in illegal practices while speaking at a Y Combinator event on Wednesday. The executive also emphasized how the big tech companies' practices directly affected his own business by scaring away users from installing Epic's Games Store software and preventing Epic from attracting developers to its offerings. Notably, Epic Games has played a big role in the fight against big tech monopolies over the past several years. The company sued both Apple and Google for monopolistic practices over their respective app stores. Epic won its case with Google but not with Apple. However, the court did require Apple to open up to more competition by forcing a change to its App Store rules. The court said app developers should now be able to link to other purchasing mechanisms besides Apple's own. (Unfortunately for app developers, Epic is still battling with Apple in the courts over this change, as it alleges that Apple violated the court order by allowing developers to process their own payments, but only with a small, 3% reduction in commission, which doesn't make it worth their while.) Onstage, Sweeney again called out the big tech companies for their practices and their "malicious compliance" with the courts' decisions. "The sad truth is that Apple and Google are no longer good-faith, law-abiding companies," Sweeney said. "They're run, in many ways, as gangster-style businesses that will do anything they think they can get away with. If they think that the fine is going to be cheaper than the lost revenue from an illegal practice, they always continue the illegal practice and pay the fine." The gaming executive pointed to how the tech companies' practices hurt his business. For instance, when users on Android try to install the Epic Games Store on their smartphone, Google warns them that the software is from an "unknown source" and might harm their device. This "scare screen," as Sweeney calls it, is meant to warn users about the dangers of installing non-Play Store apps. But he says the screen results in 50-60% of users abandoning their attempt to install the software. A similar drop-off rate is found on iOS. In Europe, the Epic Games Store is allowed thanks to new regulations, but Apple displays a warning to users who try to install it. Again, this leads to drop-off rates of 50-60%, Sweeney said. He calls the use of these screens "textbook self-preferencing," noting that the companies are "getting away with it." "Crime pays for big tech companies," he said. "Obviously, we shouldn't expect that to change until enforcement becomes much, much more vigorous," he told the audience. In addition, the Fortnite exec said that because of the friction and the associated fees with third-party app stores on iOS, no major game developer has been willing to distribute games through the Epic Game Store. Instead of its usual 30% fee, Apple reduces the fee but collects a "core technology fee" of 50 cents per install per year for any app with more than 1 million downloads. "Unless your app is enormously high grossing per user, any free-to-play game is largely dissuaded from that," Sweeney explained. "It's too expensive for them. Apple would bankrupt them if they did that." He did note that the Epic Games Store on iOS has managed to attract some back-catalog games. Meanwhile, the store will open up to developer submissions later this year, which Sweeney hopes will boost the catalog further on both Android and iOS. This article originally appeared on TechCrunch at Sign in to access your portfolio
