Google has requested that a California federal judge temporarily halt his extensive court order requiring it to open its Play Store to increased competition.
As reported by Reuters, in a legal filing submitted on Friday night, Google argued that U.S. District Judge James Donato’s injunction, due to take effect on 1 November, would have a detrimental effect on the company and pose “significant safety, security, and privacy risks” to the Android ecosystem.
Google, a subsidiary of Alphabet, asked Judge Donato to delay enforcing the order while it proceeds with an appeal.
The judge issued the injunction on 7 October in a case brought by “Fortnite” creator Epic Games, which had successfully convinced a federal jury last year that Google was unlawfully monopolising the way consumers download apps on Android devices and make in-app purchases.
The injunction mandates that Google must allow users to access third-party Android app stores and cannot prevent the use of alternative in-app payment methods. Additionally, Google is prohibited from paying device manufacturers to preinstall its app store and from sharing Play Store revenue with other app distributors.
Should Donato reject Google’s request to pause the injunction, the company can seek relief from the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals while challenging the jury’s original antitrust verdict.
Google formally filed its notice of appeal with the 9th Circuit on Thursday. The appeals court will ultimately consider and decide on Google’s appeal against Donato’s order.