On September 29th 2020, a class action complaint was filed against Google and its subsidiaries in the U.S. District Court, Norther District of California. The complaint alleges that Google has a monopoly in the market for Android app stores, and it maintains that monopoly using anti-competitive and unlawful practices. As a result of its monopoly power and the anticompetitive restraints it has imposed on device manufacturers, app developers and consumers, Google has been able to extract from developers a supra competitive 30% tax on paid apps downloaded from the Play Store as well as in-app purchases for products and services.
The complaint also alleges that Google’s anticompetitve conduct has harmed competition in the market for Android app stores. It has reduced competition by deterring entry by would-be competitors, stifled innovation by controlling the manner in which Android apps are distributed, increased prices to app developers and consumers who bear the 30% tax, and reduced output by reducing app developers’ capital and incentives for creating new apps.
Google’s conduct has also injured Plaintiff and members of the Class, who have paid a supracompetitive 30% tax on every paid download of their apps from the Play Store and in-app purchases.
In this action, Plaintiff seeks to recover the damages caused by Google’s unlawful anticompetitive conduct and an order enjoining its unlawful practices.
If you are an android app developer and/or have marketed an app on Google Play, we’d like to hear from you. If this class-action lawsuit is certified by the court, those affected will be contacted for inclusion.
IMPORTANT: Please contact us using the form below or call us at 800-551-8649, or via e-mail to Tanya Autry (tautry@emersonfirm.com) or John G. Emerson (jemerson@emersonfirm.com) and we will promptly get back to you to discuss your situation.