Back in May, Match Group filed suit against Google for requiring that apps distributed through the Play Store use Play's billing, calling it "anticompetitive." If this sounds familiar, it's the same sort of argument Epic Games made against Google and Apple and an argument we've heard from lots of companies with apps on the Play Store now that Google is actually enforcing its billing policies, which were long ignored. Google has now shot back at Match with its own countersuit, claiming that Match is just trying to take advantage of Google's platform reach without adhering to its rules.

This isn't an unusual maneuver these circumstances. Often, when tech companies get into a spat over licensing agreements or some other contract, there will be lawsuits filed on both sides regardless of the sort of claims involved. Given the nature of the conflict, it's really to be expected.

If you don't know the name, Match Group is the company behind basically every dating app, from Match itself to Tinder, Hinge, OkCupid, and others. Speaking of anticompetitive practices, it owns 23 dating apps and services in total, basically cornering the market.

The facts and various claims in the lawsuits so far boil down simply. Google wants apps distributed through its Play Store platform to use Google's Play billing. For the benefit of having its apps distributed through Google's store rather than, say, being available directly through Match's site, Google feels the service that it provides to developers is worth a fee in the form of a cut on all billing that happens through apps distributed on its store. This fee varies in different circumstances, but Google claims it's offering Match a 15% cut. Google has been known to consider "sweetheart deals" with lower rates for big names in the past, but now it offers a 15% cut for apps on their first million dollars in revenue, and 15-10% for things like subscriptions, video, books, or audio, courtesy of the Media Experience Program.

On the other side, Match disagrees with Google's terms and believes it should have access to Google's storefront, distribution, and developer tools without having to pay Google a cut on in-app purchases or subscriptions. Although apps on Android can be installed from any source you choose (including from alternative app stores or even directly from a developer's website), Match wants access to Google's store but doesn't want to adhere to Google's licensing agreements regarding in-app billing. These details regarding what Google's storefront does in the arrangement make up the bulk of Google's counterclaims.

Earlier this year, Google announced a pilot program with Spotify in certain countries that will allow for other billing systems to exist alongside Google's. It's not clear how this will affect Google's cut of fees. As of March, the terms weren't public, and details were still being worked out, according to Bloomberg, but it sounded like there would still be some sort of fee imposed by Google. Epic-owned Bandcamp is also embroiled in its own beef with Google, making many of the same arguments that Match is. A bunch of US states have also filed suit.

As part of the original suit, Google and Match agreed that Match could pay its typical Play Store billing fees into an escrow account (to contain up to $40 million dollars), where it can sit until the suit is resolved. In a statement provided to TechCrunch, Google says that Match entered into a contract willingly, and it intends to hold the company to its agreement. Match fired back, calling the countersuit another example of Google's monopoly actions, intended to scare developers everywhere.

I can't tell you which side is in the right or in the wrong, but I can say that if Match wants to avoid this headache entirely, it could easily distribute its own apps with their own billing systems directly from its various dating service websites or a third-party storefront, and customers on Android could still install them, all without paying Google a dime. As to which company will win in this little spat, we'll just have to wait and see. Google's asked for a jury trial, and we could see a decision next year.