A jury decided that Google violated antitrust laws against Epic Games and other mobile app developers. The ruling could change how businesses make money on Android. After deliberating for just over three hours, the jury sided with Epic Games in a monthlong trial. They found that Google maintained a monopoly and harmed Epic. The ruling could lead to changes in Google’s Play Store, allowing other app stores and making it easier for developers to avoid Google’s fees. It could also jeopardize Google’s ability to collect commissions from app store purchases. The judge will decide the remedies for Google’s conduct next year. Google argued that it competed against Apple’s App Store. Epic’s quest to weaken the power of Google and Apple received a boost from the verdict. This case comes as Google fights another antitrust trial in Washington, D.C. Google charges app makers fees for customer payments and in-app purchases on the Play Store. They say that 99 percent of developers qualify for a fee of 15 percent or lower.
