Epic Games not only fights against app stores for the right to process its in-app payments in its popular game Fortnite, it has also taken its own legal battle with dishonesty and technology bullies through Bandcamp, an online music company Epic acquired in March. . The following month, Epic filed an order requesting the right to allow Bandcamp to continue operating normally instead of being forced to use the Google payment system as required by policy change, or expulsion from the Google Play Store. On Friday, Bandcamp succeeded, gaining the ability to continue to use its existing payment system on Android devices until Epic and Google's case is resolved, according to a new court agreement.





This means that Bandcamp fans will be able to continue supporting their favorite artists on Android devices by purchasing music and merchandise, as they have done since 2015, and artists will receive the same percentage of sales, as usual, Bandcamp said. In addition, Google will not be able to remove the Bandcamp app from the Google Play Store, or delay or refuse to distribute updates to its application as part of the new agreement.




Bandcamp also said it would now deposit 10% of the revenue generated by digital sales on Android escrow devices until the Epic trial with Google. In that case, the court will determine whether or not Google will receive such payments on the basis that it decides that Google's payment system is not competitive.





The 10% figure itself - representing the commissions Bandcamp was supposed to pay Google - is unusual. The average Google commissions for in-app purchases range from 15% to 30% for most Google Play developers. But Google has offered Bandcamp a 10% discount for additional permits, the court's first letter has revealed. Despite the special offer, Bandcamp said this was still a long way off, as "it would force Epic to change Bandcamp's current business model or run Bandcamp's business with a long-term loss," the file said.




In a statement published last month on the Bandcamp blog, Bandcamp CEO and founder of Bandcamp Ethan Diamond also explained that the company will need to “transfer Google funds to consumers (making Android a less visible platform for music fans), transfer it funds to consumers. for artists (which we will not do), run our Android business with a permanent loss, or shut down digital sales on the Android app, ”in order to comply with Google's new in-app purchasing policy changes.



He also pointed out that Bandcamp had been using its payment system for years, in line with Google's previous directive that freed digital music from revenue generation.


Bandcamp is not the only company that has reached such an agreement with Google regarding in-app purchases in cases of antitrust lawsuits.


And on Friday, the giant Match Group made a similar agreement with Google, which led to Match rescinding its interim ban on Google. In terms of its agreement, Google agreed not to reject or remove Match Group apps from the Google Play Store by offering alternative payment options and Match said it would deposit up to $ 40 million into an escrow account instead of paying commissions. on Google - in-app payments take place outside of the Google Play payment system.