Google App Store Monopoly Remedy
Sean Hollister (PDF, Hacker News, MacRumors):
Today, Judge James Donato issued his final ruling in Epic v. Google, ordering Google to effectively open up the Google Play app store to competition for three whole years. Google will have to distribute rival third-party app stores within Google Play, and it must give rival third-party app stores access to the full catalog of Google Play apps, unless developers opt out individually.
These were Epic’s biggest asks, and they might change the Android app marketplace forever — if they aren’t immediately paused or blocked on appeal.
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In Epic v. Google, Epic successfully argued that Google had created such a substantial array of deals with developers, carriers, and device makers that it was nigh-impossible for rival stores to spring up. By blocking those sorts of deals, and proactively helping rival app stores, it’s possible some real competition to Google’s monopoly could now arrive.
Google will still have some control over safety and security as it opens up the Google Play Store to rival stores. The injunction says that Google can “take reasonable measures” that are “strictly necessary and narrowly tailored” and are “comparable” to how it currently polices the Google Play Store. Google will be able to charge a fee for that policing, too. Epic has repeatedly argued that Google should not be able to deter third-party app stores through policing, so it’s likely Epic and Google will keep butting heads over this.
Google, in a blog post, unsurprisingly disagreed – it is appealing the verdict and will ask the courts to pause the injunction until its appeal is heard.
What Judge Donato is demanding is effectively pass-through to the actual Play Store listing for any apps and games that aren’t available in a third-party app store. So if you search in the Brand X app store for “FooApp” but FooApp isn’t available in the Brand X store, Brand X’s store app can let you install and download FooApp from the Play Store. But that counts as a regular Play Store installation. It’s just a way to encourage users of third-party stores to search those stores first, even though the vast majority of apps will likely remain exclusively in the Play Store.
This is fantastic news, going way beyond what Apple v Epic required. And will solve a big practical problem for me, namely that people get unofficial mirrored Play versions of Pleco from Chinese app stores, can’t use Play IAP + I can’t link to another method.
It’s also going to help a lot with getting iOS users to buy from my website, because their Android friends will see a link to save money buying on my website and will tell their iOS using friends about it. (In fact I can even mention in the app that it works on iOS too)
The DoJ is basically putting every option on the table, including the big one: a breakup of Google itself into smaller parts.
Previously:
- Google Search and Ads Monopoly
- Epic Wins Antitrust Case With Google
- Google Accused of Violating Retention Obligations
- DOJ Accuses Google of Abusing Ads Monopoly
- Court Documents About Epic v. Google and App Store
Update (2024-10-10): See also: Hacker News.
