Wed Nov 27 22:10:00 UTC 2024: ## Google Appeals App Store Ruling
**San Francisco, November 28, 2024** – Google is appealing a court order that requires it to revamp its Google Play app store, arguing the ruling unfairly favors Epic Games and will harm developers and consumers. In a filing to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, Google contends that the trial judge made legal errors and that the jury verdict, which found Google guilty of monopolizing app distribution on Android, should be overturned.
The lawsuit, filed by Epic Games in 2020, accused Google of anti-competitive practices. Following a jury trial last year, Judge James Donato ordered Google to allow users to download rival app stores and make its app catalog available to competitors. This three-year injunction is currently on hold pending the appeal.
Google argues that the judge improperly allowed Epic to present arguments suggesting Google and Apple are not competitors, and that the injunction is overly broad, effectively making the judge responsible for Google’s product design. The company further contends that the lawsuit should never have proceeded as it sought an injunction rather than damages.
The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals will hear oral arguments on February 3rd, with a decision expected later in 2025. The outcome will have significant implications for the mobile app ecosystem and the ongoing debate surrounding app store monopolies.
First Piper 