Google v/s Epic: Play-Store changes now effective from October 29
What's the story
The US District Court has granted a one-week extension to Google in the Epic Games v/s Google case. The ruling, issued by Judge James Donato, pushes back the enforcement of his permanent injunction related to Play Store changes from October 22 to October 29. This comes after both parties jointly requested the delay, without giving any specific reason for it.
Impact analysis
Extension gives Google time to comply with injunction
The extension means that Google now has until October 29 to comply with the court's order. The original deadline was set for October 22. The injunction requires Google to stop mandating developers to use Google Play Billing and allow them to set their own prices, as well as permit developers to steer users to out-of-app payments without fees. This comes after Epic Games's repeated victories in the ongoing legal battle against Google over its app store policies.
Next step
Google plans to appeal Supreme Court ruling
In response to the court's decision, Google reiterated its commitment to comply with legal obligations while pursuing an appeal. The tech giant had earlier told The Verge that it would comply with its legal obligations, implying that Google Play Billing would be required for developers distributing apps via Google Play until all legal proceedings are resolved. This includes any potential Supreme Court appeals, which Google plans to file by October 27.