The tech world is abuzz following the news that a hearing between Epic Games and Google is set to take place in a California courtroom. As Epic Games filed their antitrust lawsuit against Google in July of this year, the industry has been waiting for a public confrontation to take place in court.
The hearing is scheduled to take place on the 4th of December 2020, and Google’s Chief Executive Officer Sundar Pichai will be present at the hearing to represent the tech giant. This week, it was revealed that Google had summoned several high-profile tech industry names to appear as ‘witnesses’ in the antitrust trial.
Among the names appeared on the witness list is Andy Rubin, the former head of Google’s Android division. Rubin is credited as the creator of Android, Google’s mobile operating system which is used by three-quarters of the world’s smartphone users. Rubin was ousted from Google back in 2014 in connection to a misconduct case.
Along with Rubin, Google has also asked for other high-profile figures such as Phil Schindler, now Google’s Chief Business Officer, and Don Harrison, Google’s President of Global Partnerships and Corporate Development.
The hearing is set to focus on Epic Games’ case against Google, which claims that the tech giant has abused its dominance in the app market by requiring consumers to use its platform for app downloads and by charging high commissions on in-app purchases.
The trial will be a symbolic showdown between Epic Games and Google and could potentially have far-reaching implications for the the tech industry. With both Pichai and Rubin appearing in court to testify, the stage is set for a dramatic showdown between two of tech’s juggernauts. It is going to be a trial to watch and could well determine the fate of the app market for years to come.