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EPA
Fortnite and Apple have been locked in a legal battle since August
Apple has responded to claims by the Fortnite game maker that its control of the App Store gives it a monopoly.
In response to the August lawsuit filed by Epic Games, Apple called those arguments “moralistic” and “selfish.”
He denied that his 30% commission was anti-competitive, saying the fight was “a basic disagreement over the money.”
Apple also said that Epic Games had violated its contract and asked for damages.
The presentation is the latest in a legal battle that began last month, after Fortnite offered a discount on its virtual currency for purchases made outside the application, from which Apple receives a 30% cut.
In response, Apple blocked Epic’s ability to distribute updates or new applications through the App Store, and Epic sued, alleging that Apple’s App Store practices violate antitrust laws.
The court allowed Apple’s ban on updates to continue as the case progresses, but the existing version of Fortnite still works, as does Epic’s payment system.
Antitrust concerns
Apple had said it would allow Fortnite to return to the store if Epic removed the direct checkout feature to fulfill its developer agreement.
But Epic has refused, saying that complying with Apple’s request would be “colluding with Apple to maintain its monopoly on in-app payments on iOS.”
- Microsoft backs Epic in line with Apple
- Apple faces two anti-competition investigations from the EU
In its presentation, Apple said that Epic has benefited from Apple’s promotion and development tools, earning more than $ 600 million (£ 462 million) through the App Store.
Apple accused the company, which it said is backed by Chinese tech giant Tencent, of seeking a special deal before finally breaching its contract with the upgrade.
“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,” he said at the presentation.
The legal battle between the two companies comes as Apple faces increased scrutiny of its practices on the App Store.
At a Washington hearing over the summer, politicians also expressed concern that Apple’s control of the app store would hurt competition.
The European Union is also investigating whether Apple’s App Store practices violate competition rules.
Apple has denied those claims, arguing that its App Store has made it easier and cheaper for developers to distribute products.
