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Google Play Developer Antitrust Litigation

googleplaydevelopersettlement.com

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Re: Google Play Developer Antitrust Litigation

#41

Post by ceejayoz »

Something1234 wrote: post #34
ceejayoz wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I really wish the courts would set up settlements.gov; each genuine class action gets a subdomain.

Why a subdomain and not just a random page? Are class actions always at the federal level and not the state level? Also lawyers wouldn't like that very much, camp lejune is being a pile of pain.

Subdomain to avoid polluting the .gov namespace too much. States could do similar; settlements.ny.gov.

I’m tired of the “phishing or real?” game with these things.

Re: Google Play Developer Antitrust Litigation

#42

Post by [deleted] »

thrdbndndn wrote: post #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?

[deleted]

Re: Google Play Developer Antitrust Litigation

#43

Post by shadowgovt »

dahfizz wrote: post #31
thrdbndndn wrote: post #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?

They vertically integrated beyond the scope of the law. Microsoft got in trouble for forcing their hardware suppliers to only ship windows machines. By taking the hardware in house, Apple does the same but it's legal. Google loses an antitrust case for monopolizing app stores on Android. By making alternative app stores technically impossible, Apple doesn't have the same issue. It really feels like the went mega-mono…

> Google loses an antitrust case for monopolizing app stores on Android

Note that they didn't lose; they settled. It was in their best interest not to put the question to the courts in the first place.

(As, apparnently, did Apple according to adjacent threads).

Re: Google Play Developer Antitrust Litigation

#44

Post by ABCLAW »

capableweb wrote: post #2

> 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…

>Like how is it not an admission of wrongdoing if you finally say "Ok, I'll give you money for this problem to go away".

Because an admission could be used against you in future litigation, thus defeating the purpose of settling in the first place. Settlement functions as a method of allowing litigants to liquidate their conflicts without wasting court resources and expending exorbitant amounts of money going through all steps of the court mandated conflict resolution procedure.

Even if you don't agree that you are at fault, there is some chance that a judge may not agree with you. If you think that chance is 10%, and the suit is worth 100M + you expect to pay 20M in fees, wouldn't it make sense for you to settle for 10M? Regardless of how the case turns out, you're 10M ahead of your anticipated fee spend and 20M ahead of your risk adjusted expected result, and the other side ends up with the risk adjusted value of their claim.

Re: Google Play Developer Antitrust Litigation

#45

Post by Aperocky »

Maursault wrote: post #39
dahfizz wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They vertically integrated beyond the scope of the law. Microsoft got in trouble for forcing their hardware suppliers to only ship windows machines. By taking the hardware in house, Apple does the same but it's legal. Google loses an antitrust case for monopolizing app stores on Android. By making alternative app stores technically impossible, Apple doesn't have the same issue. It really feels like the went mega-mono…

> Microsoft got in trouble for forcing their hardware suppliers to only ship windows machines. Not accurate. They required their licensees to pay a license fee for every machine they sold, whether it was sold with Windows or another OS. This meant that any machine that didn't ship with Windows was burdened with two licensing fees, one to Microsoft and one to whatever other OS provider.

Interesting, it should be easy enough to track the number of Windows OS being shipped so this is really just Microsoft strong arming the suppliers with monopolistic intent.

And punished rightfully so.

Re: Google Play Developer Antitrust Litigation

#46

Post by kyrra »

nine_k wrote: post #10
midoridensha wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's always bothered me too. I think someone should be forced to admit to wrongdoing, or else keep battling in court to prove their side. That said, how does Google monopolize Android app distribution? You're free to install APKs yourself. So why isn't Apple being prosecuted? There's no such ability on that platform. Why does it always feel like Google is constantly being hounded about stuff that Apple gets off sco…

Isn't paying a fine technically an admission that the accusations are correct, and the compensation is due?

It is risk aversion by both parties. You never know how a jury trial will go, so if both parties can negotiate a settlement they are willing to live with, it makes both parties happy without having to deal with the extreme consequence on either side.

I would relate it somewhat to what insurance gives you. There, you are paying a fee to help stave off extreme expense.

Re: Google Play Developer Antitrust Litigation

#47

Post by themacguffinman »

as1992 wrote: post #33
thrdbndndn wrote: post #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?

In my opinion, its based on the perception of the companies combined with the impact they have on the general consumer market. Eg 70% of phones run Android, only 27% run iOS which makes Google a much better target to go after. Same situation with personal computing, Windows was like 80% of the consumer/business market when the whole browser thing took place. MacOS was something like 5%. Also I've never really heard o…

In the US the marketshare split is closer to 45-55, with iOS having the larger 55% share.

https://www.statista.com/statistics/1045192/share-of-mobile-....

Re: Google Play Developer Antitrust Litigation

#48

Post by [deleted] »

thrdbndndn wrote: post #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?

[deleted]

Re: Google Play Developer Antitrust Litigation

#49

Post by JumpCrisscross »

dahfizz wrote: post #31
thrdbndndn wrote: post #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?

They vertically integrated beyond the scope of the law. Microsoft got in trouble for forcing their hardware suppliers to only ship windows machines. By taking the hardware in house, Apple does the same but it's legal. Google loses an antitrust case for monopolizing app stores on Android. By making alternative app stores technically impossible, Apple doesn't have the same issue. It really feels like the went mega-mono…

> vertically integrated beyond the scope of the law

Cupertino plays in the super-premium segment, leaving the value end of the spectrum open to competition.

Re: Google Play Developer Antitrust Litigation

#50

Post by JumpCrisscross »

capableweb wrote: post #2

> 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…

> how is it not an admission of wrongdoing if you finally say "Ok, I'll give you money for this problem to go away"

Have you never paid a fine or penalty that you totally did not deserve and that you could probably have gotten out of if you made a mountain out of a mole hill?

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