The outcome of Epic’s lawsuit against Google remains uncertain, with the court ruling that Google Play Store and Google Play Billing practices constitute market monopolization. However, Epic’s main demand is for Google to open up the Play Store and allow other competitor stores on their platform.
In the recent month, Judge James Donato instructed Google to assess the expenses related to Epic’s claims, which Google disclosed to be approximately $61.3 – $137 million. These expenses include:
– Allowing third-party stores access to apps on the Play Store, taking 12-16 months and costing between $27.5 – $66.9 million.
– Facilitating the transfer of existing apps to third-party stores, with a 12-month timeline and a cost ranging from $1.7 – $2.4 million.
– Integrating third-party stores within the Play Store, a process requiring 12-16 months and costing between $32.1 – $67.7 million.
– App auditing and updates from third-party app stores, the expenses for which remain undisclosed.
Although the expenses seem substantial, Google Play Store’s profitability is immense, with internal documents revealing profits around $12 billion in 2021, translating to over $31 million in daily revenue. Google argues that the damages go beyond monetary concerns, involving user security and company reputation, suggesting third-party stores should pay fees if forced to open up as Epic desires. Google warns that complying would necessitate the redesign of the Play Store and Android, impacting users and developers and forcing Google to distribute competitor apps unwillingly.
Nevertheless, Epic Games can challenge Google’s estimates and submit rebuttal documents, with the final hearing scheduled for August 14th.
TLDR: Epic demands Google to open up the Play Store, Google faces significant expenses and challenges in complying, with the final hearing set for August 14th.
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