Domestic associations of small and medium-sized game companies have urged Google to immediately present a damage compensation plan, including refunds for unfairly collected app commission fees.
In response, Google refuted claims that it is in the process of reaching an agreement with domestic developers or that it promised a deadline for submitting a settlement proposal, calling such assertions groundless.
The Korea Mobile Game Association, along with the Korea Game Developers Association and the Korea AI Game Association, issued a joint statement today urging Google to "immediately present an official written compensation plan addressing the damage claims of affected game companies."
The three associations emphasized that while Google has long forced in-app purchases and high commissions of up to 30 percent, substantive compensation for the affected parties has not been realized.
The Mobile Game Association and others pointed out that "Google agreed to pay 700 million dollars to settle a lawsuit brought by 50 U.S. states and reached a settlement worth 260 million pounds in the United Kingdom," emphasizing that Google is delaying compensation payments in South Korea.
They further stressed that the Fair Trade Commission and the Korea Communications Standards Commission should not mitigate sanctions against Google based solely on developer support or policy changes until actual compensation is made.
Hwang Sung-ik, president of the Korea Mobile Game Association, stated, "The disparity between Google's attitude shown in other countries like the U.S. and the U.K. and its approach toward South Korea is growing increasingly severe. The association, together with participating associations and affected game companies, will respond to the end until Google presents a concrete compensation plan and completes actual payments."
Domestic content and gaming companies filed a class arbitration against Google in a U.S. court last year, seeking refunds for commissions unfairly collected over the past 10 years.
Referring to media reports from early August, the association claimed in its statement, "Although Google stated it would submit a settlement proposal by the end of August, it has not presented an official written plan to date."
Regarding this matter, Google stated, "Claims that negotiations are underway or that Google promised to submit a settlement proposal by a certain date in the ongoing lawsuit with domestic developers in the U.S. are groundless."
(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
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