The maker of the video game Fortnite, Epic Games, has made a proposal in a court filing seeking to force Google (NASDAQ:GOOGL) to open up its Play Store. Epic made this proposal to U.S. District Judge James Donato in San Francisco and is seeking to require the tech giant to allow third-party app stores on its Play Store for six years. Moreover, Epic is seeking to restrict agreements with device makers on the preloading of competing app stores.
Judge Donato is not bound to grant Epic’s proposal, and a tussle is likely to ensue before any permanent order is issued.
Epic’s proposal also states that GOOGL should be prohibited from restricting “the ways an app can inform users about out-of-app purchasing options.” Google has a deadline of May 3 to respond to Epic’s proposal.
Epic’s Win Over GOOGL in Antitrust Case
Earlier in 2020, Epic filed a lawsuit against Google, alleging that the tech major used its dominant position in the Android app market to stifle competition. In addition, Epic accused the company of generating excessive profits by charging app developers commissions ranging from 15% to 30% through its Play Store.
Google lost the case in December last year. In a similar case, the company had to pay $700 million to U.S. states and consumers last year as part of an antitrust settlement. Moreover, Google agreed to revamp its Play Store to allow for more competition.
Epic had lodged a similar case against Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) in 2020, challenging AAPL’s 30% fees on in-app purchases made through its iOS devices. The case is still being fought in court.
Is Google a Good Buy Right Now?
Analysts remain bullish about GOOGL stock, with a Strong Buy consensus rating based on 30 Buys and seven Holds. Over the past year, GOOGL has surged by more than 50%, and the average GOOGL price target of $165.98 implies an upside potential of 4.1% from current levels.
