Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
Google and Epic Games may finally be close to ending their long-running legal dispute over the Play Store. Both companies have jointly filed a proposed settlement with the court, which could bring about big changes to how Android and Google Play operate in the US.
In a post on X, Sameer Samat, Google’s President of Android Ecosystem, announced that the companies have “filed a proposed set of changes to Android and Google Play that focus on expanding developer choice and flexibility, lowering fees, and encouraging more competition — all while keeping users safe.” Samat added that if approved, the proposal would resolve their ongoing litigations. A hearing is scheduled for Thursday.
Tim Sweeney and Sameer Samat/X
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Epic CEO Tim Sweeney also wrote about the proposed changes on X, calling Google’s proposal “an awesome” and “comprehensive solution” that doubles down on Android’s “original vision as an open platform.” According to Sweeney, the proposal would streamline competing store installs “globally,” reduce Play Store service fees, and allow third-party in-app and web payments, highlighting all the key points Epic has long fought for all this time.
Sweeney also took a jab at Apple, saying that Google’s proposed changes stand in contrast to Apple’s more closed ecosystem that “blocks all competing stores.”
If approved by the court, the proposed settlement could finally mark the end of one of the most prominent antitrust cases in the industry. Epic first sued Google in 2020 after Fortnite was removed from their app stores for implementing its own payment system to bypass platform fees. While we’re currently unaware of the exact terms of the proposal, court filings are expected to be available soon. We’ll update this article when we have more information.
This is a developing story…
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