Apple has filed a motion requesting an early denial of the claim that iOS is an “essential facility” in its ongoing legal battle with Epic Games.
The courtroom drama is in its third week, but AppleInsider notes that Apple is seeking a partial ruling as soon as the case concludes. The tech giant says the trial has demonstrated that the “Fortnite” developer has “effectively abandoned this claim” — the claim being that Apple violated the Sherman Act “through its unlawful denial” of access to iOS and the App Store. Epic Games further claimed that iOS was an essential facility.
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.
