Epic Games Founder and CEO Tim Sweeney has confirmed via his X account that the company will not be part of the Google Play settlement regarding the app store antitrust case.
Sweeney mentions that Epic is ready to settle if Google is willing to end its payment monopoly
On 5th September, Tuesday, around 36 state attorneys and consumer lawyers came together to propose a new schedule for deadlines in the Google Play antitrust case in California. This was because of the 2021 antitrust case filed against Google that revolves around Google’s practice of charging a 30 percent commission on sales of digital goods or services.
It is also been confirmed that they’ve also reached a tentative settlement, which just needs some approvals from state attorneys and Google’s board, and then court approval, which should all happen smoothly. The detailed settlement agreement will be submitted to San Fransico Judge James Donato in about a month.
However, Epic Games and the online dating company Match Group are pursuing their own separate lawsuits against Google. Their cases are scheduled for trial in November. However, Sweeney added in this tweet that Google’s fees for in-app purchases make prices higher, unlike in more competitive markets where fees are lower. Epic Games might be willing to settle with Google if they stop this fee, but they’ll keep fighting if the settlement doesn’t address this issue.
To give info on the history between the two giants, Epic Games initiated its lawsuit against Google in 2020 after Google removed Fortnite from the Play Store. This action was taken because Fortnite allowed customers to use an alternative in-app payment system, which violated Google’s policies. This dispute was a significant part of the legal battle between Epic Games and Google.
What are your thoughts on Epic Games not being part of the Google Play settlement over the app store antitrust case? Let us know in the comments below!
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