02:13 PM EDT, 07/31/2025 (MT Newswires) -- Alphabet's (GOOG, GOOGL) Google ( GOOG ) lost its appeal to overturn a jury verdict and federal court order in an antitrust lawsuit filed by Epic Games, according to a ruling Thursday by the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

The court rejected Google's ( GOOG ) claim that a decision favoring Apple in a lawsuit filed by Epic precludes Epic from defining the market differently in this case. The court also said the district court did not abuse its discretion in allowing a jury trial.

"We affirm the district court's injunction, which was supported by the jury's verdict as well as the district court's own findings," the court said.

Epic won the jury case in San Francisco in 2023, and in October 2024, US District Judge James Donato ordered Google ( GOOG ) to restore competition by allowing users to download other app stores in October 2024, according to the document.

Google ( GOOG ) filed an appeal with the court, which then rejected the company's claims that the trial judge made legal errors in the antitrust case, the document said.

Microsoft ( MSFT ) , the Justice Department, and Federal Trade Commission filed briefs supporting Epic, according to the document.

"This decision will significantly harm user safety, limit choice, and undermine the innovation that has always been central to the Android ecosystem," Google's ( GOOG ) global head of regulatory affairs Lee-Anne Mulholland said in an emailed statement to MT Newswires. "Our top priority remains protecting our users, developers and partners, and maintaining a secure platform as we continue our appeal."

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