Home Apple denies breaching court order in ongoing Epic Games dispute

Apple denies breaching court order in ongoing Epic Games dispute

TL:DR

  • Apple denies breaching court order in Epic Games dispute.
  • Requests dismissal of Epic's motion for contempt.
  • Claims investment in new framework to comply with injunction.

Apple has denied allegations of breaching a court order related to its App Store and urged a federal judge in California to dismiss a motion by “Fortnite” creator Epic Games, seeking to find it in contempt.

The tech giant made the arguments in a submission to U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers in Oakland, who oversaw the 2020 lawsuit by Epic Games accusing Apple of antitrust violations through its tight control of app downloads and in-app transaction controls.

In the filing, the company claimed it had “invested significant resources into developing a new framework that would comply with the Injunction while also protecting users and Apple’s investment in the App Store.”

The California-based company criticized Epic Games, stating that it wants to “turn the Injunction from a prohibitory injunction, focused on two specific Guidelines provisions and designed to provide more information to users, into a mandatory injunction that requires Apple to make its tools and technologies available to developers for free, while dictating Apple’s policies and technical implementation.”

Epic, it continued, wanted the court “to micromanage Apple’s business operations in a way that would increase Epic’s profitability.”

The ongoing saga between Epic Games and Apple

In March, there was more controversy after the iPhone maker terminated the game developer’s account. It was then quickly reinstated following a backlash. Epic Games said at the time: “This sends a strong signal to developers that the European Commission will act swiftly to enforce the Digital Markets Act and hold gatekeepers accountable.”

Epic Games alleged that Apple’s decision to terminate their developer account shortly after its approval was partly in retaliation for their public criticism of Apple’s proposed DMA compliance plan.

According to Epic, Apple pointed to a specific post by Tim Sweeney in a thread as a basis for their action. Epic contends that this is part of a pattern where Apple penalizes developers for opposing its practices, which they describe as both unfair and illegal, mirroring actions taken against other developers in the past.

Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney accused Apple of acting in a “devious” manner in January. This was then followed by a tenuous truce when Epic Games returned to iOS, at least in some regions. In addition, the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear Apple’s appeal at the beginning of 2024, however, the justices also dismissed Epic’s secondary appeal.

Epic was mostly unsuccessful in its lawsuit against Apple, but in 2021, Judge Rogers ordered that Apple allow developers more flexibility to direct app users towards alternate payment options for digital goods.

In a related lawsuit that Epic filed against Alphabet’s Google, a San Francisco judge is expected to deliver a separate injunction this year that will impact the Google Play Store.

Featured image: Canva / PRNewsfoto / Mad Engine LLC / Ideogram

About ReadWrite’s Editorial Process

The ReadWrite Editorial policy involves closely monitoring the tech industry for major developments, new product launches, AI breakthroughs, video game releases and other newsworthy events. Editors assign relevant stories to staff writers or freelance contributors with expertise in each particular topic area. Before publication, articles go through a rigorous round of editing for accuracy, clarity, and to ensure adherence to ReadWrite's style guidelines.

Suswati Basu
Tech journalist

Suswati Basu is a multilingual, award-winning editor and the founder of the intersectional literature channel, How To Be Books. She was shortlisted for the Guardian Mary Stott Prize and longlisted for the Guardian International Development Journalism Award. With 18 years of experience in the media industry, Suswati has held significant roles such as head of audience and deputy editor for NationalWorld news, digital editor for Channel 4 News and ITV News. She has also contributed to the Guardian and received training at the BBC As an audience, trends, and SEO specialist, she has participated in panel events alongside Google. Her…

Get the biggest tech headlines of the day delivered to your inbox

    By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. Unsubscribe anytime.

    Tech News

    Explore the latest in tech with our Tech News. We cut through the noise for concise, relevant updates, keeping you informed about the rapidly evolving tech landscape with curated content that separates signal from noise.

    In-Depth Tech Stories

    Explore tech impact in In-Depth Stories. Narrative data journalism offers comprehensive analyses, revealing stories behind data. Understand industry trends for a deeper perspective on tech's intricate relationships with society.

    Expert Reviews

    Empower decisions with Expert Reviews, merging industry expertise and insightful analysis. Delve into tech intricacies, get the best deals, and stay ahead with our trustworthy guide to navigating the ever-changing tech market.