Epic Games, developer of the widely popular game Fortnite, has filed an antitrust complaint against Apple in the European Union.
In the latest development of the Epic versus Apple battle, after filing a lawsuit against Apple in the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom, The Wall Street Journal has reported that the game developer has filed a complaint in the European Union. The move comes after Epic Games failed to file a case against the Cupertino giant in North Dakota court.
The antitrust filing was later confirmed by the company in its blog post. The filing is more or less the same as that in the other courts. Epic Games has thrashed Apple of anti-competitive practices with the App Store. The company says that Apple has not only harmed the ecosystem but “completely eliminated competition in-app distribution and payment processes.”
“What’s at stake here is the very future of mobile platforms. Consumers have the right to install apps from sources of their choosing and developers have the right to compete in a fair marketplace.
It’s bad for consumers, who are paying inflated prices due to the complete lack of competition among stores and in-app payment processing. And it’s bad for developers, whose very livelihoods often hinge on Apple’s complete discretion as to who to allow on the iOS platform, and on which terms.” — Epic Games CEO, Tim Sweeney.
Epic Games recently caught the attention of German Antitrust Authorities with the lawsuit, and is now looking to expand this worldwide. The company says that the filing is ‘much bigger than Epic versus Apple.’ It says that it is more about consumers and developers and what’s right.
Interestingly, Epic Games is not seeking damages from Apple for this filing, as opposed to the case in the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom. “It is simply seeking fair access and competition that will benefit consumers and developers.”
Who do you side with in Apple versus Epic Games battle? Do you think Apple having a monopoly in iOS app distribution is justified? Let us know in the comments section below!
