Despite initial skepticism, it appears that Judge James Donato is seriously considering Epic Games’ demands against Google following their surprise win at trial. One of the key demands is for the Epic Games Store to live inside Google’s own Play Store, and to have access to every app within Google Play.
Judge Donato has ordered Google to calculate the costs associated with complying with Epic’s demands by June 24th. This includes detailing the tech work required and any economic costs for providing “Catalog Access” and “Library Porting” to competing app stores for up to six years. Additionally, Google may need to consider the tech work and economic costs for the distribution of third-party app stores through the Google Play Store.
In Epic’s 16-page list of demands, the page number 7 stands out as it would compel Google to grant other app stores access to the entire Google Play catalog of apps. Another significant ask that Judge Donato seems to be weighing is the proposal for Google to carry other third-party app stores within its Google Play store for a duration of six years.
Following an evidentiary hearing, Judge Donato displayed skepticism towards Google’s arguments against Epic’s proposed remedies. However, he also expressed concerns that some of Epic’s demands were “open-ended and too vague.” Epic will have the opportunity to question Google’s experts and engineers about the accuracy of their estimates and file a rebuttal before a final hearing on August 14th.
With Epic Games’ triumph in the trial, the company has been actively working on developing a version of its game store for Android. This victory could have broader implications for the app store ecosystem and the relationship between app developers and platform providers.
The ongoing legal battle between Epic Games and Google has the potential to reshape the app store landscape. Judge Donato’s consideration of Epic’s demands signals a potential shift in the power dynamics within the app distribution market. As the case unfolds, all eyes will be on the decisions made by the court and their implications for both Epic Games and Google.