In a filing published in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers denied a motion by Apple to prevent Epic from allowing certain third-party witnesses, reports AppleInsider. However, the judge wants no surprises in the ongoing legal brouhaha.
“The Court has repeatedly instructed that trial is not an opportunity for surprises,” the filing reads. “Instead, it is an opportunity for the Court to measuredly consider and weigh the relevant evidence to reach a final determination. This dispute presents no exception.”
This is all part of an ongoing global legal battle between Apple and Epic. On Aug. 13,2020, Epic Games announced that it had introduced a new direct payment option in the Fortnite app for iPhone and iPad, allowing players to purchase 1000 V-Bucks for US$7.99 rather than $9.99 through Apple’s in-app purchase mechanism. Shortly thereafter, Apple removed the gamer from the App Store for violating store polices and followed up by shutting down the company’s developer account.
Epic immediately filed a lawsuit against Apple in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.
In September 2020 Apple filed a countersuit to stop the game maker from using its own payment system for Fortnite. Apple also accused Epic of theft and sought extra monetary damages beyond breach of contract.
