Google’s Epic legal defeat threatens RM936.60bil app store industry

The battle began in 2020, when Fortnite was kicked off the Apple and Google Play app stores because the game developer had secretly installed its own payment system. — Image by Victoria from Pixabay

Google’s legal defeat at the hands of Fortnite maker Epic Games Inc threatens to roil an app store duopoly with Apple Inc that generates close to US$200bil (RM936.60bil) a year and dictates how billions of consumers use mobile devices.

The loss – handed down by a San Francisco jury on Dec 11 – is a blow to the two companies’ business model in apps, where they charge commissions of as much as 30% to software developers who typically have few other options.