[ad_1]
Updated: September 9, 2020 9:55:47 am
Fortnite by Epic Games is the most popular video game in the world.
The Apple vs Epic Games legal battle is getting murkier by the day. The tech giant filed a counterclaim against the Fortnite maker on Tuesday, alleging that the game’s developer violated its contract with Apple and requested an unspecified amount of damages.
“Although Epic presents itself as a modern corporate Robin Hood, it is actually a multi-billion dollar company that just doesn’t want to pay anything for the tremendous value it gets from the App Store,” Apple said in a filing with the District Court for the Northern District of California. “The Epic lawsuit is nothing more than a basic disagreement over money.” Apple called Epic Games’ move “deliberate, brazen and illegal.”
Cupertino, California-based Apple maintains that Epic wants “free access to the Apple-provided tools you use and, worse, wants to charge others for access to Apple’s intellectual property and technologies.” The lawsuit clearly states that Epic Games has made more than $ 600 million through the App Store.
Apple went on to say that Epic Games’ real motive is to get “special treatment” from Apple’s App Store rules. The company also said that the Fortnite developer gained access to tools, marketing opportunities, software, and most importantly, access to Apple customers through the App Store.
Apple sends invitations for a special event on September 15
“Epic’s demand for special treatment and cries of ‘retaliation’ cannot be reconciled with its blatant breach of contract and its own business practices, as it makes billions by collecting commissions on sales from game developers and collecting consumers up to $ 99.99 for packages of ‘V-Bucks, ”Apple said in a lawsuit.
Fortnite is one of the most popular games on the planet with 350 million players.
The issue between Apple and Epic Games began on August 13 when the game’s developer began using its own payment system within Fortnite, bypassing Apple’s standard 30 percent fees. Before long, Apple removed Epic Games’ popular battle royale game Fortnite from the App Store. In response, Epic Games sued the iPhone maker claiming that the “monopolistic” practices of Apple’s App Store violate antitrust rules. Later, Apple suspended Epic Games from accessing the App Store development tools.
Apple has said that it would allow Fortnite to return to the App Store if Epic removes the direct payment feature. But Epic has refused, saying that complying with Apple’s request would be “in cahoots with Apple to maintain its monopoly on in-app payments on iOS.”
The legal battle between Apple and Epic Games comes at a time when Apple is fighting antitrust scrutiny by running the App Store. Apple, in its defense, argued that the App Store has given millions of developers a platform to distribute their applications freely.
📣 The Indian Express is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@indianexpress) and stay up to date with the latest headlines
For the latest tech news, download the Indian Express app.
© IE Online Media Services Pvt Ltd
