Live data from Hacker News

Google Play Developer Antitrust Litigation

googleplaydevelopersettlement.com

21–30 of 135 posts

Re: Google Play Developer Antitrust Litigation

#21

> A settlement has been reached with Google LLC, Google Ireland Limited, Google Commerce Limited, Google Asia Pacific Pte. Limited, and Google Payment Corp. (“Google”) in an antitrust class action lawsuit about the Google Play store. The lawsuit was brought by U.S. app developers. The lawsuit alleged that Google monopolized (or attempted to monopolize) alleged markets related to the distribution of Android OS apps an…

What alternative is there? For the court to say to both parties, “no, you’re not allowed to come to this mutually agreeable resolution. Keep paying lawyers to litigate this and keep using up the court’s time.” ? I mean… maybe there’d an idea in there, but I’m not sure it’s practical.

> What alternative is there?

No need to find an alternative. Same outcome but remove the "Ok, sure I'm guilty, but I don't admit to actually doing it". If you agree to lose the case, agree that you're in the wrong.

Re: Google Play Developer Antitrust Litigation

#23
post #16

> A settlement has been reached with Google LLC, Google Ireland Limited, Google Commerce Limited, Google Asia Pacific Pte. Limited, and Google Payment Corp. (“Google”) in an antitrust class action lawsuit about the Google Play store. The lawsuit was brought by U.S. app developers. The lawsuit alleged that Google monopolized (or attempted to monopolize) alleged markets related to the distribution of Android OS apps an…

Consider a similar case where you probably favor the defendants. Random patent troll company registered in Texas files 1000's of lawsuits against companies that it alleges infringes on a trivial patent, i.e. one click checkout. All companies settle because the cost of going to court is greater than the requested settlement amount of $500k. Should we also see these companies admit that they infringed on (likely frivol…

Or when companies issue a refund, even though they're not at fault, to avoid having to deal with nasty customers.

Re: Google Play Developer Antitrust Litigation

#24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What alternative is there? For the court to say to both parties, “no, you’re not allowed to come to this mutually agreeable resolution. Keep paying lawyers to litigate this and keep using up the court’s time.” ? I mean… maybe there’d an idea in there, but I’m not sure it’s practical.

> What alternative is there? No need to find an alternative. Same outcome but remove the "Ok, sure I'm guilty, but I don't admit to actually doing it". If you agree to lose the case, agree that you're in the wrong.

Who decides what counts as a win or a lose when parties agree to a settlement? Are there cases where it’s not obvious who is really doing all the winning?

Mind you I don’t have any answers and I’m not intending on being adversarial. I just don’t immediately see how this can work.

Re: Google Play Developer Antitrust Litigation

#25
post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> has far more marketshare Android maintained its position as the leading mobile operating system worldwide in the fourth quarter of 2022, controlling the mobile OS market with a close to 71.8 percent share, while iOS accounted for around 27.6 percent of the mobile operating system market.Jan 17, 2023 https://www.statista.com/statistics/272698/global-market-sha... .

We're talking about US regulators here, so only marketshare in the US is relevant. Apple has 60% last time I checked.

Is that 60% of money or 60% of the devices sold/in use?

Re: Google Play Developer Antitrust Litigation

#26
Genuine question: how was Apple rarely sued in similar fashion?

Not just compared to Android/Google, but also the way they bundle programs in their operating systems, compared to Microsoft browser case in the US/EU.

To my untrained eyes, they're worse in almost every aspect.

Is it just the boring answer "they have better lawyers", or are there things fundamentally different?

Re: Google Play Developer Antitrust Litigation

#28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What alternative is there? For the court to say to both parties, “no, you’re not allowed to come to this mutually agreeable resolution. Keep paying lawyers to litigate this and keep using up the court’s time.” ? I mean… maybe there’d an idea in there, but I’m not sure it’s practical.

> What alternative is there? No need to find an alternative. Same outcome but remove the "Ok, sure I'm guilty, but I don't admit to actually doing it". If you agree to lose the case, agree that you're in the wrong.

The plaintiffs are free to not settle and continue the case if that's what they want. Are you proposing that they should be forced to do that?

Re: Google Play Developer Antitrust Litigation

#29

Genuine question: how was Apple rarely sued in similar fashion? Not just compared to Android/Google, but also the way they bundle programs in their operating systems, compared to Microsoft browser case in the US/EU. To my untrained eyes, they're worse in almost every aspect. Is it just the boring answer "they have better lawyers", or are there things fundamentally different?

in Europe they have been. I think they have to open it up at least there in the future along with usb-c

Re: Google Play Developer Antitrust Litigation

#30

Genuine question: how was Apple rarely sued in similar fashion? Not just compared to Android/Google, but also the way they bundle programs in their operating systems, compared to Microsoft browser case in the US/EU. To my untrained eyes, they're worse in almost every aspect. Is it just the boring answer "they have better lawyers", or are there things fundamentally different?

Because they have cornered the market for top 5% incomes while leaving the rest 95% to their competitors. Since their market share is always less, they always get less scrutiny. Outside of developed world, no one uses apple products unless paid by their workplace (for example mac books) or if they are in the top 1% of their country.
Post reply on HN