The Epic judge allows Google to keep its Android app store closed to competitors for the time being

Google just won a small but important victory in the Epic legal battle. Last week, the company asked Judge James Donato to put a pause on its Nov. 1 deadline to drastically change the rules for the Android app store. Today he did just that, Epic and Google confirm The edge, He granted Google a temporary administrative stay on all but a specific part of its decision.

That means Google may not have to open its Play Store for years, if at all, while it appeals the ruling. In December, a jury unanimously ruled that Google's Android app store, the Play Store, had become an illegal monopoly, although Google is now appealing that jury verdict and the court order.

Technically, today's temporary administrative stay only moves the clock back a little, long enough for the appeals court to consider a longer stay, but Judge Donato reportedly told the courtroom that he suspects the Ninth Circuit will grant that longer stay as well – what could be really let Google off the hook until it prevails on appeal. The judge himself declined to grant Google a longer stay.

However, Judge Donato did not He pauses on a specific part of his ruling that could open a crack for competing app stores, court documents say. From November 1, 2024 to November 1, 2027, Google is ordered not to enter into deals with wireless carriers or device manufacturers that block the pre-installation of competing app stores in exchange for money, revenue shares or benefits.

Had Judge Donato upheld the original deadline, his order would also have allowed developers to stop using Google's Play Billing as early as November 1st. Google would also have been prohibited from using certain financial incentives to bind developers to the store. It would also have started an eight-month countdown until Google introduces third-party app marketplaces into its own Play Store. You can read the full list of changes Judge Donato ordered in his preliminary injunction here.

Originally, Judge Donato gave Google less than a month to begin opening its app store, and Google argued that it should be given the same 90 days that Apple had to make app store changes. (Google also argued that Epic, which filed both the Apple and Google lawsuits, had no objection to a 90-day deadline.) Since Judge Donato's original deadline was overturned, Google is out of the loop, at least briefly Caught in a bind and may have taken the same path The path taken by Apple resulted in the repeal of anti-steering App Store rules being delayed for over two years.

Without the stay, Judge Donato's decision could have had an almost immediate impact on consumers, not just developers. Microsoft announced it would allow people to buy and play games in the Xbox Android app, for example, and Epic said it would bring the Epic Games Store to Google Play next year. Unless the Ninth Circuit denies a stay, it could take years for these things to happen.

Google tells The edge It is satisfied with today's decision:

We are pleased with the district court's decision to temporarily stay implementation of the hazardous remedies requested by Epic as the appeals court considers our request for a further stay of the remedies while we file an appeal. These remedies threaten Google Play's ability to provide a safe experience, and we look forward to continuing to make our case to protect 100 million U.S. Android users, over 500,000 U.S. developers, and thousands of partners supported by our Platforms have benefited.

Epic declined to comment.

Correction, October 18th: An earlier version of this story incorrectly suggested that Judge Donato had completely waived his November 1 deadline to appeal. In fact, Donato decided not to maintain a certain part of his preliminary injunction regarding Google's dealings with OEMs and carriers.