OAKLAND, Calif., Aug 28 (Reuters) – Alphabet Inc’s (GOOGL.O) Google created $11.2 billion in income from its mobile application store in 2019, according to a court recording unsealed on Saturday, offering an unmistakable view into the service’s monetary results for the first run through.
Attorneys general for Utah and 36 other U.S. states or districts suing Google over supposed antitrust violations with the application store also said in the recently unredacted recording that the business in 2019 had $8.5 billion in gross profit and $7 billion in operating income, for an operating edge of over 62%.
The figures include sales of apps, in-application purchase and application store ads. Google told Reuters the information “are being used to mischaracterize our business in a meritless lawsuit.”
The company and its accusers said in a separate documenting on Saturday a preliminary in late 2022 is possible over whether Google abuses its supposed monopoly in application sales for Android devices.
In its quarterly monetary disclosures, Google groups Play application income with that of other services and accounts for the store’s advertisement income as a component of another broader category.
Attorneys general, as well as mobile application developer Epic Games and others separately suing Google, have contended that it generates gigantic profits through the Play Store by taking 30% of the charge for each advanced good sold inside an application. The plaintiffs say Google’s cut is subjectively high, siphoning application developers’ profits.
Google argues that alternatives exist to Google’s store and installment systems, though critics say those routes are unfeasible and were sometimes blocked.
Plaintiffs affirm Google through anticompetitive deals stretched out benefits to and imposed restrictions on major developers such as “Class of Legends” producer Riot Games to hold them back from leaving the Play Store.
SOURCE : https://www.reuters.com
Image : The logo of Google Play is displayed at Tokyo Game Show 2019 in Chiba, east of Tokyo, Japan, September 12, 2019. REUTERS/Issei Kato/File Photo
