Epic Games, the creators of Fortnite and Unreal Engine, has emerged victorious in a crucial antitrust lawsuit against Google, compelling the Android mobile store to open up in accordance with additional stipulations. However, Google has promptly announced its intention to appeal the ruling. Lee-Anne Mulholland, Google's vice president of regulatory affairs, outlined the company's reasons for contesting the decision on the Google blog. Mulholland initially noted that Epic had previously lost a comparable case against Apple, although CNBC pointed out that the Apple case was adjudicated by a judge, whereas Google's was decided by a jury. Consequently, Mulholland stated: "In contrast, the Apple decision, upheld on appeal, rightly found that Android and iOS compete in the same market. This is obvious to anyone who has bought a smartphone."
Furthermore, Mulholland contends that Google and Apple are both vying for the favor of app developers. The ruling imposes a three-year prohibition on Google compensating developers for exclusive apps, according to CNBC. Lastly, Mulholland emphasizes, "Android is open and Google Play is not the only way to get apps." Google underscores that Fortnite is accessible on Android devices via the Samsung Galaxy store. Notably, Epic Games is also suing Samsung and Google over an autoblocker feature. Earlier this month, Epic unveiled its plans to introduce a free games program for its mobile store. The Fortnite developer continues to clash with Apple, though the Epic Games Store mobile app is now available on iOS in the European Union.
