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Google says Epic’s demands arising from antitrust case win are “unnecessary” and “far beyond the scope” of the ruling

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In a brand new filing, Google is taking a stand against multiple Fortnite developers, Epic Games proposed remedies after the court found that Google had engaged in anti-competitive practices in its Play Store. Following the jury’s decision late last yr, either side presented their arguments about how Google should change its behavior in light of the verdict. For its part, Epic Games issued a crazy list of demands, this included access to the Play Store’s catalog of apps and games for six years, the ability to distribute your personal app store on Google Play without spending a dime, and way more. It also desired to put an end to any deals, incentives and offers, in addition to penalties that will allow the Play Store or Google Play Billing to realize a bonus over its rivals.

The tech giant’s surprising and quick defeat was a historic ruling, especially since Epic Games largely lost an identical antitrust case against Apple that was not heard by a jury. In the Epic-Apple lawsuit, the court ruled that Apple isn’t a monopoly, but agreed that developers should have the option to direct their customers to alternative routes to pay online. The case was appealed to the Supreme Court, which refused to listen to it, leaving the lower court’s ruling in force.

Although the jury in the Google case was convinced that the tech giant had used its market power illegally, it didn’t choose next steps – that is as much as the judge. The recent filing, together with Epic’s proposal, will help inform Judge James Donato during a hearing scheduled for May 23 on what actions must be taken next to examine Google’s power.

Epic Games had it in April specific your demands in the proposed injunction, found here. Overall, Epic wants Google to permit users to download apps from any app store or the Internet, depending on their preferences. He doesn’t want Google to have the option to dam OEMs or carriers or force them to favor Google Play. He also doesn’t want Google to have the option to impose additional fees for routing through the Play Store, which Epic Games also argues is an anti-competitive practice.

The Fortnite creator moreover asked the court to implement other changes, including giving Epic access to the Play Store catalog so it will probably update users’ apps by surprise screens or additional fees. Additionally, Epic wants developers to have the option to inform users learn how to pay for his or her apps and services elsewhere and how much they’ll save by doing so. It desires to eliminate the requirement to make use of Google’s “User Choice Billing” service, which offers only small discounts to developers who process payment transactions themselves, and way more.

Google obviously disagrees on how the court should proceed.

In an announcement, Google’s vp of government affairs and public policy, Wilson White, called Epic’s demands excessive and unnecessary.

“Epic’s demands would harm the privacy, security and overall experience of consumers, developers and device manufacturers,” it said. “Not only does their proposal go far beyond the scope of the recent US trial verdict – which we will be challenging – it is also unnecessary given the agreement we reached last year with state attorneys general from all states and many territories. We will continue to vigorously defend our right to a sustainable business model that allows us to keep people safe, work with developers to innovate and grow their businesses, and maintain a thriving Android ecosystem for all.”

In an injunction filed Thursday in a U.S. District Court in California, Google argues that Epic’s demands threaten users’ security and privacy because they deprive it of the ability to implement trust and security measures regarding the use of third-party app stores. (Apple has used an identical technique to fight regulations opening its App Store to competition, arguing that it’s liable for user privacy and security.)

Additionally, Google says it will be required to inform all third-party app stores, without the user’s consent, what apps the user has installed. This would expose the use of personal apps, including in sensitive areas resembling religion, politics and health, without rules on how this data is used.

The company also said Epic is asking it to remove protections related to sideloading of apps.

And if those arguments fail, Google uses a distinct tactic to indicate that Epic’s proposed remedies are unnecessary since it has already agreed with state attorneys general that it is going to not sign broad exclusivity agreements with developers. Epic’s proposal would further prevent Google from working with developers to deliver exclusive content through Play Store apps, which it says represents a crucial opportunity for developers.

Finally, the AG’s state settlement would allow any app store to compete for space on Android devices, Google argues, but Epic’s proposal would exclude it from the process, limiting competition. It said that without Google’s involvement, competing app stores can be underpriced, impacting OEM margins.

The judge’s upcoming decision on the treatment on this case might be interesting because it is going to set the stage for a way app stores considered monopolies could have to make concessions to permit for more competition. Although Epic lost its battle with Apple, the Justice Department’s case against the iPhone maker remains to be pending, as is its lawsuit against Google over its alleged monopoly on search. The end result of these cases will determine the extent to which the power of the tech giants stays unchecked, given the glaring lack of laws in the US to rein in tech monopolies.

This article was originally published on : techcrunch.com
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Flipkart co-founder Binny Bansal is leaving PhonePe’s board

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Flipkart co-founder Binny Bansal has stepped down three-quarters from PhonePe’s board after making an identical move on the e-commerce giant.

Bengaluru-based PhonePe said it has appointed Manish Sabharwal, executive director at recruitment and human resources firm Teamlease, as an independent director and chairman of the audit committee.

Bansal played a key role in Flipkart’s acquisition of PhonePe in 2016 and has since served on the fintech’s board. The Walmart-backed startup, which operates India’s hottest mobile payment app, spun off from Flipkart in 2022 and was valued at $12 billion in funding rounds that raised about $850 million last 12 months.

Bansal still holds about 1% of PhonePe. Neither party explained why they were leaving the board.

“I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to Binny Bansal for being one of the first and staunchest supporters of PhonePe,” Sameer Nigam, co-founder and CEO of PhonePe, said in a press release. His lively involvement, strategic advice and private mentoring have profoundly enriched our discussions. We will miss Binny!”

This article was originally published on : techcrunch.com
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The company is currently developing washing machines for humans

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Forget about cold baths. Washing machines for people may soon be a brand new solution.

According to at least one Japanese the oldest newspapersOsaka-based shower head maker Science has developed a cockpit-shaped device that fills with water when a bather sits on a seat in the center and measures an individual’s heart rate and other biological data using sensors to make sure the temperature is good. “It also projects images onto the inside of the transparent cover to make the person feel refreshed,” the power says.

The device, dubbed “Mirai Ningen Sentakuki” (the human washing machine of the longer term), may never go on sale. Indeed, for now the company’s plans are limited to the Osaka trade fair in April, where as much as eight people will have the option to experience a 15-minute “wash and dry” every day after first booking.

Apparently a version for home use is within the works.

This article was originally published on : techcrunch.com
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Zepto raises another $350 million amid retail upheaval in India

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Zepto, snagging $1 billion in 90 days, projects 150% annual growth

Zepto has secured $350 million in latest financing, its third round of financing in six months, because the Indian high-speed trading startup strengthens its position against competitors ahead of a planned public offering next yr.

Indian family offices, high-net-worth individuals and asset manager Motilal Oswal invested in the round, maintaining Zepto’s $5 billion valuation. Motilal co-founder Raamdeo Agrawal, family offices Mankind Pharma, RP-Sanjiv Goenka, Cello, Haldiram’s, Sekhsaria and Kalyan, in addition to stars Amitabh Bachchan and Sachin Tendulkar are amongst those backing the brand new enterprise, which is India’s largest fully national primary round.

The funding push comes as Zepto rushes so as to add Indian investors to its capitalization table, with foreign ownership now exceeding two-thirds. TechCrunch first reported on the brand new round’s deliberations last month. The Mumbai-based startup has raised over $1.35 billion since June.

Fast commerce sales – delivering groceries and other items to customers’ doors in 10 minutes – will exceed $6 billion this yr in India. Morgan Stanley predicts that this market shall be value $42 billion by 2030, accounting for 18.4% of total e-commerce and a pair of.5% of retail sales. These strong growth prospects have forced established players including Flipkart, Myntra and Nykaa to cut back delivery times as they lose touch with specialized delivery apps.

While high-speed commerce has not taken off in many of the world, the model seems to work particularly well in India, where unorganized retail stores are ever-present.

High-speed trading platforms are creating “parallel trading for consumers seeking convenience” in India, Morgan Stanley wrote in a note this month.

Zepto and its rivals – Zomato-owned Blinkit, Swiggy-owned Instamart and Tata-owned BigBasket – currently operate on lower margins than traditional retail, and Morgan Stanley expects market leaders to realize contribution margins of 7-8% and adjusted EBITDA margins to greater than 5% by 2030. (Zepto currently spends about 35 million dollars monthly).

An investor presentation reviewed by TechCrunch shows that Zepto, which handles greater than 7 million total orders every day in greater than 17 cities, is heading in the right direction to realize annual sales of $2 billion. It anticipates 150% growth over the following 12 months, CEO Aadit Palicha told investors in August. The startup plans to go public in India next yr.

However, the rapid growth of high-speed trading has had a devastating impact on the mom-and-pop stores that dot hundreds of Indian cities, towns and villages.

According to the All India Federation of Consumer Products Distributors, about 200,000 local stores closed last yr, with 90,000 in major cities where high-speed trading is more prevalent.

The federation has warned that without regulatory intervention, more local shops shall be vulnerable to closure as fast trading platforms prioritize growth over sustainable practices.

Zepto said it has created job opportunities for tons of of hundreds of gig employees. “From day one, our vision has been to play a small role in nation building, create millions of jobs and offer better services to Indian consumers,” Palicha said in an announcement.

Regulatory challenges arise. Unless an e-commerce company is a majority shareholder of an Indian company or person, current regulations prevent it from operating on a listing model. Fast trading corporations don’t currently follow these rules.

This article was originally published on : techcrunch.com
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