Shulou(Shulou.com)11/24 Report--

Epic Games and US internet company Match Group are reportedly trying to expand their lawsuit against Google to include additional charges against the search giant. In a motion filed Friday in federal court for the Northern District of California, the companies accuse Google of bribing developers with the means and ability to create rival Android app stores.

Specifically, Epic and Match are linked to agreements such as Project Hug. According to a complaint Epic filed last year, the program, later known as the Apps and Games Velocity Program, cost Google millions of dollars to keep some of the most popular Android developers in the Play Store.

"There are provisions in the agreement designed to prevent developers from launching competing app stores," the motion states. The motion adds that Google "itself" violated the Sherman Act, the main US antitrust law. Under the Sherman Act, a breach of agreement does not require the plaintiff to prove how a particular action negatively affects the market, since it is widely believed that such action reduces competition (price fixing falls into this category).

Google said it would oppose the motion. "Epic and Match have added more inaccurate claims to their failed lawsuit and we look forward to clarifying the facts in court," a spokesman for the company said.

"Epic and Match are based on projects that only incentivize developers to offer benefits and early access when Google Play users post new content or updates; this does not prevent developers from creating competitive app stores, as they claim. "In fact, the project proves that Google Play competes fairly with many competitors, giving developers many options for operating systems and app stores. "

This follows Epic and Match reaching a temporary agreement with Google earlier this year to ensure their apps remain in the Play Store while the lawsuit is resolved. In a countersuit filed in june, google accused Match of trying to get into the Play Store "without paying anything." Google's store charges have also come under scrutiny from the U.S. Department of Justice and more than 30 states.

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