Judge orders Epic, Google to discuss a settlement in antitrust suit

CARY – The federal judge handling the antitrust lawsuit between Cary-based Epic Games and Google over Google’s ban of Epic’s megahit Fortnite wants the two companies to discuss a settlement.

In Tuesday’s proceedings at federal court in San Francisco Judge James Donato told Epic lead attorney Gary Bornstein:

“Spotify pays 4 percent or 0 percent and has its own billing… you need to be clear with your client who’s sitting behind you [Epic CEO and majority owner Tim Sweeney] that [settlement negotiations are] going to happen.”

That’s according to news site The Verge, which is providing daily coverage of the trial.

Bornstein earlier told the judge that any such settlement discussions have not yet happened at all, The Verge reported.

“If you win, what are you planning to ask for?” the judge asked.

Epic wants freedom for it and other developers to introduce “their own stores without restrictions,” wrote reporter Sean Hollister. It also wants “total freedom” to use its own billing system and what Hollister described as an “anti-circumvention provision” against Google.

The judge replied: “We don’t do don’t break the law injunctions… if you have a problem, you can come back.”

For the latest on the trial, read The Verge’s coverage.