Google's Epic Fail
Well, the nightmare scenario is here for Google. It's hard to read this ruling any other way – if the changes are ultimately implemented the way the court has ruled. Which still seems like a big "if" on a few fronts. The Verge's Sean Hollister has a good rundown of all of the specific changes required, but at a high level:
Google’s Android app store is an illegal monopoly — and now it will have to change.
Today, Judge James Donato issued his final ruling in Epic v. Google, ordering Google to effectively open up the Google Play app store to competition for three whole years. Google will have to distribute rival third-party app stores within Google Play, and it must give rival third-party app stores access to the full catalog of Google Play apps, unless developers opt out individually.
These were Epic’s biggest asks, and they might change the Android app marketplace forever — if they aren’t immediately paused or blocked on appeal.
Google immediately said it was appealing, of course. And alongside that appeal, they're asking the court to put a pause on implementing all of the changes, which are due on November 1 – just a few weeks away . You have to believe they'll be granted that postponement if for no other reason than it seems impossible to implement some of these changes in such a short timeframe (though a few of the specific changes are being given an eight month window). In particular: