Epic Games gets support in its fight against Apple
Epic Games may have largely lost its main lawsuit against Apple, but it won't go out without a fight and has some excellent support.
Shortly after Epic Games' decision against Apple, the Fortnite developer filed an appeal, and on January 27, a host of organizations submitted summaries in support of the company, including a coalition of 35 state attorneys general, Microsoft and the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) .
During the trial, Epic Games was trying to prove that Apple had a monopoly on iOS apps. It was asking for changes that would force Apple to take a lower commission on all transactions made through the store.
And if Epic Games succeeds in getting Apple to agree to alternative payment processors, it could dramatically change the way Apple, the world's most profitable company, operates its highly profitable App Store.
The judge in the original case ruled in Apple's favor on 9 of the 10 charges Epic Games brought against it. But Epic Games and Apple took up the parts they lost.
And in an opening memorandum of appeal filed last week. The Fortnite developer argued that allowing the decision to proceed would overturn established principles of antitrust law and undermine sound antitrust policy.
More than half of U.S. states and Microsoft now side with Epic Games because they believe Apple has a monopoly.
Fans have provided streams of support for the company that developed the game Fortnite. These summaries are provided by someone who is not a party to the case, adding additional information that may be relevant.
In the summary, the states stated, "Apple's behavior has harmed mobile app developers and millions of citizens." Meanwhile, Apple continues to monopolize app distribution and payment solutions built into the iPhone. It also continues to stifle competition and collect uncompetitive profits in the $1 trillion smartphone industry each year. Apple must be held accountable for its behavior.
Epic Games largely lost to Apple
Microsoft said Apple's broad ruling could leave little room for a restrictive principle to prevent Apple from using its control of iOS to block competition in countless nearby markets.
"The stakes are high for Microsoft and other companies that rely on antitrust laws to protect competition based on merit," she added.
It should be noted that Microsoft was a major ally of the company that developed the game Fortnite during the trial. Epic Games also called Microsoft to the podium to testify.
"A full review of the court's findings shows that Apple has market power in app distribution," EFF said. It also shows that its justifications for the restrictive App Store policies do not outweigh the anticompetitive effects of those policies.
"Accordingly, this court should find Apple's policies unlawful under the Sherman Act," it added. This result gives the company the freedom to continue to innovate in service of its users, while allowing innovation to flourish outside its walls.
