A federal appeals court has upheld a jury verdict condemning Google's Android app store as an illegal monopoly, clearing the way for a federal judge to enforce a potentially disruptive shakeup that's designed to give consumers more choices.

Alphabet Inc.’s Google lost its appeal of a judge’s order requiring an overhaul of the technology giant’s app store policies in an antitrust case filed by Fortnite-maker Epic Games Inc.The ruling by the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals on Thursday means the Google Play store will need to lift restrictions that prevent app developers from setting up rival marketplaces and billing systems.

The original dispute traces back to the rapid rise of mobile gaming and, specifically, the popularity of Epic's Fortnite. Developers long faced steep commissions – typically