A judge ordered Google to calculate the costs of Epic’s largest Play Store order

But Judge Donato is already considering these proposals. Google has been ordered to calculate the costs of complying with these demands by June 24, one month from today:

By June 24, 2024, Google will submit a proposal detailing the technical work required and economic costs, if any, of providing Catalog Access and Library Portability to competing app stores for up to 6 years. See MDL Dkt. No. 952 at 7. The proposal may also address the technical work and economic costs of distributing third-party app stores through the Google Play Store.

MDL flattened. The number 952 is Epic’s 16-page list of requests, and the number 7 is the page that will force Google to submit it last App stores could access the entire Google Play app catalog, should Epic have its way. Look over:

Underneath “Catalog Access and Library Transfer” is the other huge order that Judge Donato appears to be considering: that Google would carry other third-party app stores within its own Google Play Store for six years.

According to the order, Epic will have the opportunity to question Google experts and engineers about the accuracy of their estimates, and provide a rebuttal, before a final hearing on August 14. At an evidentiary hearing yesterday, Judge Donato seemed very skeptical of Google’s arguments against Epic’s proposed remedies, but also noted that some of Epic’s requests were “too open-ended and vague.”