Home > Culture > Books

Korean publisher associations file class-action Google over extortionate commission rate

Published: 10 Jun. 2025, 21:13

The Korean Publishers Association (KPA) and the Korea Electronic Publishing Association (KEPA) hold a press conference on June 10 explaining their motives behind filing a lawsuit against Google in the United States, following a similar suit filed against Apple. [KPA]

The Korean Publishers Association (KPA) and the Korea Electronic Publishing Association (KEPA) have filed a lawsuit against Google in the United States, following a similar suit filed against Apple.

The KPA announced Tuesday that it appointed local law firm Jihyang and U.S.-based Hausfeld LLP as legal representatives, and filed the suit against Google in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California on June 4. This follows a separate case brought against Apple in the same court on May 23.

The associations argue that Apple and Google have violated the U.S. Unfair Competition Law and Korea’s Monopoly Regulation and Fair Trade Act by forcing app developers to use their proprietary in-app payment systems and by charging what they describe as excessive and unfair commissions of up to 30 percent.

The legal action is being pursued as a class-action lawsuit, with the two Korean associations acting as representative plaintiffs on behalf of all Korean app developers. If the U.S. court accepts the case as a class action, the ruling would apply to all Korean developers, according to the KPA.

The KPA estimates that damages caused by in-app payment fees in Korea’s publishing sector alone amount to between 60 billion won ($44 million) and 80 billion won annually.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY LEE HOO-NAM [[email protected]]