Epic’s attorney just asked Google’s economics expert an intriguing theoretical during a long line of questioning: what would it take for a rival Android appstore provider to get the same kind of exclusivity that Google Play has now? What would that kind of competition take?

“An equally effective app store would have to compensate not only for the RSA 3.0 revenue, but also for the loss of all the apps and APIs that come with the MADA?” Google attorney Even asked Google’s economist Gentzkow.

Let me translate: if Amazon wanted to put the Amazon Appstore on a flagship Android phone, one which had opted into an RSA 3.0 contract in exchange for a substantial share of Google Play revenue and includes the APIs that let it be a full flagship Android phone (thanks to a MADA contract), wouldn’t Amazon need to pay enough to offset all those things that Google is providing, which would disappear without those contracts?

Gentzkow was not happy with the question, and clearly wanted to say more, but he basically said yes.