District Judge James Donato has temporarily stayed the ruling while the appeals court in San Francisco decides on the next steps.

Google has filed an appeal to the Ninth Circuit Appeals Court to overturn a lower court ruling in Epic Games' antitrust lawsuit, which mandates the inclusion of third-party app stores and payment solutions on its Play Store.

The appeal, submitted on November 27, 2024, argues that the ruling could harm Google's competitive position against Apple.

Google contends that the trial judge, James Donato, made legal errors by allowing a jury to decide the case and failing to recognize Apple as a competitor in the smartphone market, contrasting with the earlier Epic v. Apple ruling.

The company asserts that the lawsuit was inappropriate for a jury since it aimed to change Google's practices rather than seek damages, criticizing the judge's decision to issue a nationwide injunction affecting all users and developers.

In December 2023, a jury found that Google violated antitrust laws by blocking rival app stores, leading to Judge Donato's ruling that is currently paused pending the appeal.

The October 2024 ruling ordered Google to eliminate restrictions on outside payments and allow app developers to provide options for users to download apps from external sources.

The appeal process may delay any required changes to the Play Store for several years, if not indefinitely.

Oral arguments for the appeal are scheduled for February 3, 2025, with a decision expected later in the year.

Epic Games has not commented on the appeal, but it criticized Google's move as desperate, claiming the arguments have already been rejected by the jury.

Google argues that the forced redesign of its app store will negatively impact both app developers and consumers.

The tech giant maintains that if the ruling is not overturned, it will hinder its ability to compete with Apple, ultimately affecting innovation and consumer benefits.