Google must open the Play Store. On Monday, US District Judge James Donato issued a permanent injunction forcing the company to open its storefront to competitors for three years and make Android apps available in alternative stores. The decision stems from Google’s four-year antitrust battle with Epic Games. Google said on Monday that it would appeal the injunction, which highlighted its competition with Apple and potential security concerns.
As part of the decision, Google must allow third-party app stores access to the Google Play library. In addition, CNBC reports that the company must make those alternative app stores available for download in the Play Store. Google also cannot make deals (using fees or revenue sharing) to launch apps exclusively on Google Play or preinstall its store on new hardware.
The decision will also bring changes to billing. Google cannot force developers to use its own billing system. Nor can it prevent developers from informing users about less expensive payment options.
CNBC reports that a three-person committee will oversee Google’s compliance and technical issues arising from the decision. Google and Epic will form the committee.
When contacted for comment by Engadget, a Google spokesperson pointed to a blog post explaining why it will appeal. Google’s vice president of regulatory affairs Lee-Anne Mulholland wrote that the company’s competition with Apple helps negate antitrust concerns. “This decision fails to take into account that Android is an open platform and developers have always had multiple options for distributing their apps,” Mulholland wrote. “In fact, most Android devices come preloaded with two or more app stores right out of the box.”
“For example, Epic Games has made its popular Fortnite app available to Android users through the Samsung Galaxy Store, sideloading, and the Epic Games Store — while Fortnite was not distributed through Google Play,” Google’s vice president of regulatory affairs wrote. “These are options that developers have never been able to offer their U.S. users on iPhone.”
In December, a jury found Google’s Play Store violated U.S. antitrust laws. The unanimous verdict said the company held an illegal monopoly over app distribution and in-app billing for Android devices. It also ruled that its deals with other gaming companies and device makers were anti-competitive.
In April, Epic listed a proposed permanent injunction that largely matches Donato’s ruling today. For its part, Google said at the time that Epic’s demands went too far and were too selfish.
This ruling went in a very different direction from a similar suit filed by Epic against Apple, which the Fortnite maker mostly lost. CNBC notes that a jury decided Google’s suit, while the fate of Apple’s suit went into the hands of a judge.