The quarrel between Apple and Epic Games still continues. Last year’s Epic Games vs. Apple ruling left neither side completely satisfied. Both the companies ended up filing appeals against the decision. However, the proceeding has now been scheduled for October 21, and it appears that it will be quite tricky for Apple.
For context, Epic Games has sued Apple for not allowing it to use its own payment platform while charging a 30% cut for purchases through the Apple App store. Apple has argued throughout the appeal that Epic Games’ loss in the previous trial was not due to a legal mistake but rather a weak defense and “unprecedented” and “unfounded” claims of anticompetitive behavior.
Apple is still fighting the injunction that would force it to modify the App Store to permit developers to accept alternative payment methods in today’s cross-appeal.
What is the ruckus about?
The disagreement between Epic Games’ ambitions and Apple’s intention to maintain the App Store status quo sparked significant controversy. The incident began with little warning to consumers but quickly attracted international attention as the battle sought to change one of the App Store’s fundamental elements: how much Apple earns.
Apple’s dominance has previously prompted the U.S. Justice Department to conduct an antitrust investigation into the App Store’s fees and policies. Nonetheless, Apple’s and Epic’s disagreement is being made public, directly affecting younger customers.
Here’s how Apple and Epic got into a long litigious battle and what happened after the ruling, with the court ruling published and the two sides considering their positions and potential appeals.
What’s the scenario now?
Apple and Epic will each have only 20 minutes to present oral arguments. Still, we may also hear from the Department of Justice’s antitrust division and a statement on behalf of 35 government attorneys nationwide – all of whom are effectively siding with Epic.
Now, the tribunal ruled that Apple must allow developers to direct app users to other platforms but concluded that the institution did not meet the necessary tests to be considered a monopoly.
Apple claims that the ruling was an “unprecedented result,” despite the fact that Epic could not demonstrate irreparable harm due to Apple’s anti-steering rules, which prevented it from directing customers to alternate payment methods.
Apple goes on to say that Epic Games no longer meets the legal requirement of “standing” because it’s not an iOS developer and thus cannot be affected by a guideline that only applies to iOS developers. What are your thoughts on this? Comment down below.
