In a recent development, US District Court Judge James Donato has agreed to postpone the implementation of his permanent injunction, pushing the date to October 29th. The order itself is succinct, yet significant.

There is some mystery surrounding the rationale behind Google’s request for this extension and Epic’s agreement to it, especially after Epic CEO Tim Sweeney lauded the original October 22nd deadline. He highlighted it as a pivotal moment when developers could direct US Google Play users towards external payment methods without incurring fees or facing hurdles—similar to the freedoms enjoyed by Apple App Store users in the US. Notably, the public filings from both sides do not clarify the reasoning for this postponement.

As we look toward October 29th, Google has assured The Verge that it will adhere to its legal commitments even as it continues its appeal. This implies that by that date, we can expect changes to Google pages, which currently mandate Google Play Billing for developers distributing apps through Google Play.

However, this could change if the Supreme Court grants a stay before then. Google has indicated its intention to file an appeal with the Supreme Court by October 27th, which could influence the proceedings.

Unless, of course, the Supreme Court grants a stay by then… Google previously stated it would file its Supreme Court appeal by October 27th.