Apple has blacklisted “Fortnite” from the iPhone maker’s popular App Store for several years until all the court appeals are done, Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney wrote on Wednesday, September 22.
Epic Games’ opening brief in its appeal to the US 9th Circuit Court of Appeals is due December 12, according to a court filing and Apple’s reply is due by January 20, 2022, reported Reuters.
Sweeney took to Twitter on Wednesday, calling out Apple’s move and claiming that the company will continue to fight the tech giant.
“This is another extraordinary anticompetitive move by Apple, demonstrating their power to reshape markets and choose winners and losers,” Sweeney wrote on Twitter.
Related: Epic Games To Appeal Certain Parts Of Ruling In Apple Case
The two companies have been locked in a legal dispute since August last year when the game maker tried to get around Apple’s 30% fee on some in-app purchases on the App Store by launching its own in-app payment system.
The US tech giant is facing a raft of other legal and regulatory challenges to rules it forces game makers to follow, including the closely watched antitrust lawsuit brought by Epic Games.
Apple confirmed the authenticity of the letter that Sweeney shared, but declined to comment further. Apple has not yet stated whether it will ask for the injunction to be paused pending the appeal process.
“Epic committed an intentional breach of contract, and breach of trust, by concealing code from Apple and making related misrepresentations and omissions,” the iPhone maker told Epic Games, according to the letter shared by Sweeney.
Related: Disruptive Innovations on Digital Platforms: Lessons from Epic Games v. Apple in the US
Developers have long criticized Apple’s commissions of between 15% and 30% on many App Store purchases, what some developers see as an opaque and unpredictable app-vetting process.
Earlier this month, a US federal judge struck down some of Apple’s App Store rules, forcing the company to allow developers to send their users to other payment systems in a partial win for Epic Games and other app makers.
Want more news? Subscribe to CPI’s free daily newsletter for more headlines and updates on antitrust developments around the world.
Featured News
Pfizer Settles Remaining Effexor XR Antitrust Claims for $25.5 Million
Apr 29, 2024 by
CPI
South Korean Regulator Approves LG Uplus and Kakao Mobility EV Charging Venture
Apr 29, 2024 by
CPI
Federal Judge Dismisses Doctors’ Antitrust Suit Against Ohio Health System
Apr 29, 2024 by
CPI
Paramount CEO Bob Bakish Steps Down as Merger Inches Closer
Apr 29, 2024 by
CPI
EU Brands Apple’s iPadOS as Gatekeeper in Tech Crackdown
Apr 29, 2024 by
CPI
Antitrust Mix by CPI
Antitrust Chronicle® – Economics of Criminal Antitrust
Apr 19, 2024 by
CPI
Navigating Economic Expert Work in Criminal Antitrust Litigation
Apr 19, 2024 by
CPI
The Increased Importance of Economics in Cartel Cases
Apr 19, 2024 by
CPI
A Law and Economics Analysis of the Antitrust Treatment of Physician Collective Price Agreements
Apr 19, 2024 by
CPI
Information Exchange In Criminal Antitrust Cases: How Economic Testimony Can Tip The Scales
Apr 19, 2024 by
CPI