–
The creator of the video game FortniteEpic Games sued Apple on Thursday over the way it runs its app store, accusing the iPhone maker of wielding monopoly power.
Epic Games asked a federal judge to order Apple to stop its “anti-competitive behavior” and override the tech giant’s rules that require application developers to pay 30% of transactions to do business on the App Store.
The lawsuit was filed on the same day that Apple released Fortnite from the online marketplace, after Epic added a payment system that allowed player transactions to bypass the App Store system, saving money in the process.
“Apple has become what it once criticized: the giant that seeks to control markets, block competition and stifle innovation,” argued the lawsuit.
“Apple is bigger, more powerful, more entrenched and more pernicious than the monopolists of old.”
The company founded by the late Steve Jobs has been the focus of numerous criticisms in recent months for its strong control over its application store, which is the only way to acquire applications on its popular mobile devices.
The Silicon Valley giant defends that its position is necessary to keep applications and their users safe from hackers and scammers. He stated that the 30% fee applied on transactions is legitimate to take care of the store.
However, from Epic Apple is accused of irrationally restricting trade.
Epic said it is not seeking money or favorable treatment, but is instead asking the court to order the rule in the Apple store to be changed for all developers.
Fortnite is a multiplatform game that has been played by some 350 million people around the world since its launch in 2017. Players who must survive searching for weapons and resources while eliminating their competitors in the virtual world.
“Apple imposes unreasonable and illegal restrictions to completely monopolize both markets and prevent software developers from reaching the more than 1 billion users of their mobile devices unless they go through a single store controlled by Apple,” the plaintiff argues.
Democracy dies when there is censorship. Today you can help maintain independent journalism with just $ 3 a month. Contribute and be part of the solution!
