Court backs Epic Games in ruling Google Play Store is an illegal monopoly

What just happened? A pivotal chapter in the ongoing battle over the mobile app marketplace closed this week as the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a jury's finding that Google's Play Store for Android apps functions as an illegal monopoly. The ruling affirmed that Google employed unlawful practices to maintain its dominance, rejecting the company's attempts to reverse an earlier decision in favor of Epic Games.

The original dispute traces back to the rapid rise of mobile gaming and, specifically, the popularity of Epic's Fortnite. Developers long faced steep commissions – typically between 15 percent and 30 percent – on in-app purchases processed through Apple's App Store and Google's Play Store.

In 2020, Epic took steps to skirt these fees by introducing its own payment system within Fortnite. Both Apple and Google swiftly responded by removing the game from their respective stores, igniting a pair ...