Epic is asking a court to stop Google from yanking Bandcamp off the Play Store (opens in new tab)

Bandcamp is using their own billing system, bypassing Google's cut. Every app could do this and cut Google out all together. An app could just let you download the app, pay some amount when you're in the app which would unlock the functionality. I don't think its unreasonable for Google to have a problem with this. They want to get the reach of the app store, and make money off it, without paying a cut to the host like everyone else. What am I missing here?

But it does matter what the law says. If they’re not a monopoly in the eyes of the law what can a judge do?

>Antitrust rules apply for abuse of dominant market power (which Google certainly has)

Antitrust rules apply to monopolies, and Google has no where near monopoly over app stores or phones, the relevant systems here.

>which Google certainly has

You’re conflating some ideas here. A marketplace owner always has “dominant market power” over the market they own. That’s the nature of marketplace, the owner gets to set certain rules like the types of payments accepted at the marketplace, because that is literally the job of a marketplace.

Google also has dominant market share, since their App Store is the best for android, but that’s legal (keep in mind Amazon, another $1tn company actively competes in this space) - the government does not want to force consumers to use worse app stores. Competition for the sake of competition is not pro consumer.

What Google probably isn’t doing (and what is illegal) is using its OS market power to crowd out other app marketplaces. As mentioned above Amazon meaningfully competes in this space. The closes you could get there is Google doesn’t publish its own apps to other app marketplaces, but that’s likely not across the bar of anti-competition.

They can with new versions of Android:

https://www.xda-developers.com/android-12-alternative-app-st...

Google ensures that they are they are frightened away with scary warnings.

I'd guess most users don't know what sideloading is.

I doubt that.

I don't think users really even care.

'Download Here' and it's good to go.

I don't think people think that much about 'viruses' in their mobile.

Some do of course.

They’re free to distribute an APK like everyone else.

> And EPIC now has to individually manage the acquired companies, make sure they're not competing against each other

Tim Sweeney is buying creator marketplaces. The Github in each market: 3D (sketchup/artstation), 2D (artstation), music (bandcamp), etc. It's the Microsoft play, but for creatives.

He's trying to leapfrog the gaming industry and build a content creation engine that encompasses Hollywood, marketing, architecture, automotive, you name it. He's actively cultivating skilled creator mindshare and winning.

He's also trying to set legal precedent that siloed distribution marketplaces can't charge an arm and a leg and enforce draconian rules, because his play is a two sided multi-channel marketplace where he wins regardless of where you buy or sell.

The endgame for Tim is huge if it works.

At least in Android it is already the case, I have installed both F-Droid and Huawei's AppGallery in an otherwise stock android. (And prefer to get as much as possible from F-Droid)

Apple on the other hand has a war against "evil" sideloading. :P

At this point I feel its fairly obvious that only real solution is a completely new mobile OS.

Except this is about Google, and about Android, where you can put what you want and spend money without that middle man. You just need to side load, or install some other app store.

The only outrage I feel is that Tim Sweeney is using the compensation of starving artists, the main demographic on Bandcamp as I understand it, to try and make himself and EPIC richer or more relatively powerful. I don't give two hoots about "breaking up the App Store Model" and I doubt many/most musicians do either. I personally feel that 30% isn't even outrageous considering the value proposition.

Relatively rich/privileged software developers making their problem (App Stores wanting a 30% cut) the musicians' problem isn't noble, it's evil.

Edit: The way I see it, Tim Sweeney/EPIC is responsible for breaking the status quo that allowed bandcamp’s niche to operate the way they did, which seems a reasonable assumption. That acquisition turned the userbase into a pawn in the App store battle.

While this is an absolutely true statement that distinction is an active choice by Fortnite to monopolize their platform.

Then I have good news, in that this isn't some special "sweetheart deal". 10% is the standard rev share for music streaming apps that participate in Google's "Play Media Experience Program".