Epic, the company that manufactures the famous video game Fortnite, launched its legal battle with Google in the United States, due to the huge commission incurred by players.
The company accused Google of imposing a 30% commission fee on game purchases within Google Play Store applications, abandoning Google’s famous slogan “Don’t be evil.” However, Google claimed that there are many other ways to download applications. On devices running the Android system, rejecting the accusation that it operates through a monopoly, according to (Reuters).
The Epic case is added to a series of other cases recently filed against Google in the antitrust file, with the US Department of Justice accusing the company of illegally monopolizing the field of search. Google confirmed that Fortnite will remain available on Android but clarified that it can no longer provide it on Google Play because that violates its rules. The group expressed its willingness to discuss the matter with Epic Games for the game to return.
Most Notably, Epic Games pursued a similar legal suit with Apple in 2021, following a scenario akin to its 2020 dispute with Google. In both instances, Fortnite was removed from the Google Play store and the App Store due to Epic Games’ implementation of its proprietary payment system. Interestingly, the judge presiding over the Apple case rejected the idea that Apple operated as a monopoly.
This legal battle opens yet another front in Google’s ongoing antitrust challenges. Simultaneously, Google is defending itself in a Washington court where the US Department of Justice has accused the company of unlawfully monopolizing the search market.
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