The jury decided in the app store fight that Google had an illegal monopoly

Is there a Google-Apple connection? Appellate Judges in Epic v. Apple and the Apple-App Store Case

The jury unanimously agreed with all of the questions they were asked about the power of the company, the anticompetitive behavior of the company, and the injury to the company caused by that behavior. They found that the distribution agreements with game developers and deals with original equipment manufacturers were anticompetitive, and that there was an illegal tie between the app store and the payment service.

Two years previous, a similar case did not go as well for the company. In Epic v. Apple, a federal judge in Oakland, California, ordered that Apple make just one change to its App Store practices. The judge decided that most of the other Apple practices were justified due to the fact that Apple needed to get back their investment in the app marketplace. Apple still has not had to comply as it awaits the Supreme Court’s decision early next year about whether to review the case.

A jury in San Francisco unanimously found that there were antitrust violations by GOOGLE in relation to its Play mobile app store. The first big loss in a US courtroom for big tech was achieved by rivals, regulators, and prosecutors who have worked for many years to tame the power of internet companies.

We plan to challenge the verdict. Android and Google Play provide more choice and openness than any other major mobile platform. The trial shows that we compete aggressively against Apple and its App Store, as well as the other app stores on devices and consoles. We will defend the business model and remain committed to partners and users.

Judge Donato tried to prevent the case from going to trial, ordering the defendants to try to settle instead. According to a court filing, it was a last-second push by Pichai and Sweeney to reach a deal before it was too late.

“We don’t do don’t-break-the-law injunctions… if you have a problem, you can come back,” Donato said. He also said he did not intend to decide what percentage fee Google should charge for its products.

Google had denied any wrongdoing, saying that its sole aim was to provide a safe and attractive experience to users, especially as it faced competition from Apple, its iPhone, and its App Store.

More bad news for Google could come in mid-2024 when US district judge Amit Mehta in Washington, DC, is expected to issue his ruling on whether Google has unlawfully maintained its monopoly over web search. The testimony came to a close last month, and was brought to the attention of the US Department of Justice.

Google previously agreed to settle with as many as 48,000 app developers but without making major changes to its business practices. The group of consumers and attorneys general are in all 50 US states. The settlement details were not published while the trial was going on.