SAN FRANCISCO - In a high-stakes legal battle, Tim Sweeney, CEO of Epic Games, took the stand in San Francisco court on Monday to argue against Google (NASDAQ:GOOGL)'s alleged monopolistic practices. Sweeney's testimony focused on how Google has thwarted cheaper direct sales of its popular game Fortnite on Android devices and exerted control over app accessibility.
Epic Games has been the sole plaintiff in the courtroom daily since the trial began two weeks ago, following settlements between Google, Match Group (NASDAQ:MTCH), and several state attorneys general. The jury is expected to reach a decision next month on whether Google has indeed violated antitrust laws.
During his testimony, Sweeney highlighted that Google's imposed fees have significantly impeded Epic's potential for growth. He pointed out that despite generating $12 billion in revenue from console platforms, Epic Games currently faces losses. Moreover, Sweeney shared insights into Epic's pricing strategies, acknowledging that they have been able to reduce costs by avoiding platform fees on PC distributions. He also mentioned having pricing agreements with Sony (NYSE:SONY) that differ from their uniform pricing strategy.
The outcome of this case will be closely watched as it may set a precedent for how tech giants like Google manage their app marketplaces and could potentially reshape the digital economy's competitive landscape. The jury's decision next month will conclude this critical examination of Google's business practices in relation to antitrust laws.
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