The Supreme Court Didn’t Save Google From Epic, And Now The Clock Is Ticking

In August, Google had conscionable 2 weeks to statesman cracking unfastened Android, and to extremity forcing app developers to usage its ain costs systems, aft Epic Games won its Google suit for nan 2nd time.

Now, Google has conscionable complete 2 weeks erstwhile again — because nan US Supreme Court has decided not to prevention Google up of its Supreme Court appeal. Today, nan Court denied nan company’s petition for a partial stay, meaning nan permanent injunction is still successful effect, meaning Google must do nan pursuing things this month aliases beryllium successful violation:

• Stop Google from forcing app developers to usage Google Play Billing
• Let Android developers show users astir different ways to salary from wrong nan Play Store
• Let Android developers nexus to ways to download their apps extracurricular of nan Play Store
• Let developers group their ain prices
• Stop sharing money aliases perks pinch phonemakers, carriers, and app developers successful speech for Google Play exclusivity aliases preinstallation
• Work pinch Epic to resoluteness immoderate disputes arsenic Google builds a strategy to fto rival app stores into Google Play

Epic Games says nan deadline for Google to comply is now October 22nd, 2025. “Starting October 22, developers will beryllium legally entitled to steer US Google Play users to out-of-app payments without fees, scare screens, and clash – aforesaid arsenic Apple App Store users successful nan US!” writes Epic CEO Tim Sweeney.

Google wouldn’t explicitly show The Verge if nan institution now plans to region nan request for Google Play Billing, let different costs methods, and let developers to nexus extracurricular nan Play Store to app downloads, among different things, astatine nan aforesaid clip it’s still trying to entreaty nan lawsuit to nan Supreme Court.

But spokesperson Dan Jackson tells The Verge that nan institution will comply pinch its ineligible obligations, and passed on nan pursuing statement:

“Android provides much prime for users and developers than immoderate mobile OS, and nan changes ordered by nan US District Court will jeopardize users’ expertise to safely download apps. While we’re disappointed nan bid isn’t stayed, we will proceed our appeal.” 

Epic did not instantly reply our questions astir whether it’s now moving pinch Google connected nan court-mandated Joint Technical Committee to fig retired really to bring Google Play apps to rival app stores without jeopardizing that safety.

Google has said it will afloat entreaty to nan Supreme Court for certiorari by October 27th, 2025 — but that would beryllium aft nan deadline. The territory tribunal judge who primitively issued nan injunction, Judge James Donato, antecedently asked Google and Epic to explicate really they’ll comply pinch it successful his courtroom connected October 30th.

It’s still imaginable that nan Supreme Court mightiness return up nan lawsuit aft Google’s deadline has passed.