After months of potshots and PR battles played out in the media, Apple and Fortnite creator Epic Games are finally taking their dispute about Apple’s App Store revenue cuts to the courtroom. And it could be a legal battle for the ages.
Both companies are cash rich, meaning the intimidation factor over deep pockets isn’t an issue. Both strongly believe in their case. And the results of the trial could ultimately impact how people interact with their phones.
If you’re not up to speed on the bad blood between these former allies, here’s a quick catch-up.
Fortnite is one of the video game industry’s most successful titles—and has shot Epic (which was already a heavyweight in the gaming world) into the same league as Apple, Google, and Microsoft. The game is available on pretty much any platform, but the developer began to chafe at Apple’s strict payment rules.
The company behind the iPhone insists that all in-app payments go through its system—and charges a 30% commission on those. Epic bypassed those with an update, which caused it to be removed from the App Store.
At stake, ultimately, is how you download software for your iPhone. Apple wants to continuing steering people through the App Store. Epic is trying to open things up, like a PC. It argues that could give consumers more freedom and let developers use different business models.
The case also involves two companies with massive fan bases, so there’s interest in this beyond the business implications. Care to listen in? Good news! It’s being broadcast.
The trial is scheduled to start every day at 11:15 a.m. ET.
Owing to high interest in the case, the court has put together a public information page with details on how people can listen in.
As of Monday morning, there are two phone lines people can call. The trial will seemingly also be streamed via Zoom. Check the court page for details.
Evidence entered into the trial will be viewable at http://tinyurl.com/epicvapple.
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