Judge Donato orders Google to open its Play Store and android itself to third-party stores as part of his final ruling in Epic v Google.
Judge James Donato has issued an injunction in the case of Epic v. Google, ordering that the Android developer has to open the operating system to third-party app stores, distributing them and allowing them access to the Play Store’s library of apps. Starting this November and for a period of three years, Google has to allow third-party stores the option to offer Play Store apps to their customers, as well as permit developers access to payment options other than its own.
The injunction says that Google cannot incentivize developers prioritizing the Play Store, or encourage them to deprioritize other app stores. However, they do have to offer developers a means of opting out of third-party app catalogs if they so choose.
