More from Epic v. Google: everything we learned in Fortnite court
Will Google begin opening up its store on November 1st, or will it get to delay for years on appeal? We’ll find out tomorrow; in the meanwhile, you can read Epic’s opposition at the link below.
Epic argues Google’s already had plenty of time to change things — since the jury’s verdict was 10 months ago.
Last week, Judge Donato ruled that Google would have to open up Android to third-party app stores starting November 1st — but Google immediately filed an appeal and asked for an emergency stay.
Now, the judge will hear Google’s motion on October 18th. If he grants it, it could be years until Google makes changes, even if higher courts agree with his ruling.
Following a final ruling that says Google will have to open up the Play Store to third-party marketplaces, Google reaffirmed its plans to appeal the decision.
At the same time, Google is also asking the court to pause Epic Games’ requests to distribute rival app stores and adjust its payment system. Apple was granted a reprieve during its Epic legal battle last year.
That’s according to Google’s head of Android security, David Kleidermacher, who is publicly pushing back on the claims made by Epic Games in its new lawsuit against Google and Samsung.
Earlier, Samsung said it plans to “vigorously contest Epic Game’s baseless claims.”
Google, too, wouldn’t confirm or deny whether it worked with Samsung on the feature, which is now the target of a new Epic Games lawsuit against both companies.
Instead, Google tells The Verge that it’s “a meritless lawsuit”; Samsung tells us it plans to “vigorously contest Epic Game’s baseless claims.”
Epic is suing Google — again — and now Samsung, too
We want our kids to grow up in a world that’s better than this one. I grew up in an awesome world for developers and opportunity, the early days of Apple II computers and PCs, and anybody growing up, coming of age in this industry right now, is best case going to be an Apple and Google serf. That has to change. That must change.
Not surprising to hear the man behind “Nineteen Eighty-Fortnite” say this, but it really does encapsulate his war with the tech industry. More on the latest lawsuit here.
It’s exactly what you’d expect after the Fortnite maker said it was entitled to everything and a bag of chips due to its antitrust victory in federal court. Google wants Judge James Donato to think different:
“Epic’s demands would harm the privacy, security, and overall experience of consumers, developers, and device manufacturers. Not only does their proposal go far beyond the scope of the recent U.S. trial verdict – which we will be challenging – it’s also unnecessary due to the settlement we reached last year with State Attorneys General from every state and multiple territories.”
We’ll find out exactly how Android and the Google Play Store will change in a hearing that begins on May 23rd.
[DocumentCloud]
Xu Yuan, a friendly courtroom reporter for MLex that I sat with regularly during the trial, managed to obtain an interview with one of the Epic v. Google jurors — who confirmed that Google’s deleted chats affected their decision.
That same juror found Tim Sweeney “very honest” and more credible than Google’s CEO.
An interview with Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney.
In case you’re wondering why Tim Sweeney was thanking jurors on behalf of 1 million developers... it’s part of this blog post, too.
We plan to challenge the verdict. Android and Google Play provide more choice and openness than any other major mobile platform. The trial made clear that we compete fiercely with Apple and its App Store, as well as app stores on Android devices and gaming consoles. We will continue to defend the Android business model and remain deeply committed to our users, partners, and the broader Android ecosystem. - Wilson White, VP, Government Affairs & Public Policy
That’s not surprising: a jury gave Epic a total victory today.
“Victory over Google! After 4 weeks of detailed court testimony, the California jury found against the Google Play monopoly on all counts. The Court’s work on remedies will start in January. Thanks for everyone’s support and faith! Free Fortnite!”