Google, Epic submit new proposed settlement to judge after previous arrangement deemed 'sweetheart deal' for Google
Google and Epic Games have submitted a revised proposal for settling their antitrust dispute, after a judge rejected a previous offer as a “sweetheart deal” for Google.
Under the proposed agreement, Google would share a catalogue of apps available in its Play Store with competitors, and would allow alternate app stores onto the platform if they register with Google.
The companies argued their revised agreement would resolve previous concerns by Judge James Donato regarding a settlement proposal from November 2025.
Following a 2023 jury verdict finding that Google’s Android policies violate US antitrust law, Donato issued an injunction ordering Google to make its app catalogue available to competing app stores to help them create rival products.
The injunction, later confirmed by a federal appeals court, also banned preferential treatment for Google services in Android phones and required the company to allow app developers to steer customers to payment methods outside the Play Store that have lower commission fees.
The previous proposed settlement between Epic and Google would have eliminated the necessity for Google to share its Play Store catalogue, leading to criticism from Donato.
As they proposed the deal, Google announced the proposed changes publicly, saying some of the provisions would be first implemented outside the US and would be brought to the domestic market later, pending court approval.
Billing choiceGoogle said app developers would have the choice of using Google Play billing alongside their own billing system, or could steer users to methods outside the Play Store.
It announced the alternative app store registration scheme, which it said would first be implemented outside the US.
The company also announced a revised fee structure for Play Store commissions, with a 5 percent fee for Play Store billing in the US, the UK and the European Economic Area, with other service fees ranging from 10 to 20 percent depending on the purchase; the service fee for recurring subscriptions, for instance, being 10 percent.
The new fee structure is to begin rolling out on 30 June in the US, UK and EEA, by 30 September in Australia, Korea and Japan by 31 December, and the rest of the world by 30 September of next year.
Registered app stores are to begin rolling out by the end of this year.
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