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The Department of Justice and 17 res publica attorneys generalfiled a massive lawsuit against Apple on Thursday morning , accusing the company of monopolistic smartphone practices . Meanwhile , Fortnite maker Epic Games has been accusing Apple ’s iOS App Store of antimonopoly violation for year in an on-going , arduous legal conflict .
Epic is never named explicitly in the 88 - varlet case , but the play company ’s complaints are echo across encompassing word of the App Store ’s anticompetitive practices .
“ Apple often enforces its App Store rules arbitrarily , ” the suit says . “ And it often utilise App Store rules and restrictions to punish and restrict developers that take reward of technologies that threaten to disrupt , disintermediate , compete with , or eat away Apple ’s monopoly major power . ”
Epic ’s core complaint about the App Store is that developers must yield 30 % of in - app purchases to Apple . And unlike Android devices , iPhones do not allow for sideloading apps , meaning that Apple has control over any app in its App Store . For almost a 10 , Epic CEO Tim Sweeney has been a staunch critic of the taxation track , which he think is monopolistic and marauding toward small companies . In 2020 , Epic made it possible for Fortnite thespian topay Epic directly , rather than giving a cut to Apple — then , Apple removed Epic from the App Store , and now , four years afterwards , we ’re still keep an eye on the two companionship duke it out in various effectual legal proceeding .
While a judgeruledat the time that Apple ca n’t prevent apps from routing users to alternative requital method , the iPhone manufacturing business was ultimatelynot deemed a monopoly .
Given preceding rulings in Apple ’s party favour , it ’s surprising that this case is aligned with some of Epic ’s grievances .
“ While Apple has reduced the revenue enhancement it collects from a subset of developers , Apple still distil 30 pct from many app makers , ” the suit pronounce . “ Apple also generate significant and increase tax income by turn on developers to help user find their apps in the App Store — something that , for years , Apple told developers was part of the understanding they paid a 30 pct revenue enhancement in the first place . ”
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Epic is n’t the only large company that has faced off against Apple . In January , as developers prepared for the European Union ’s new Digital Markets Act ( DMA ) to take upshot , Spotify also abuse into the pack , calling Apple ’s compliancy programme “ extortion ” and a “ accomplished and full farce . ” Then in March , Apple was fined€1.84 billionfor breaching antimonopoly rules in the food market for music streaming services .
On Thursday , theCoalition for App Fairness(CAF ) — which includes Epic Games , Spotify , Deezer , Proton and other companies — released a statement in favour of the DOJ ’s action against Apple .
“ With today ’s announcement , the Department of Justice is hold a strong stand against Apple ’s stranglehold over the mobile app ecosystem , which smother competitor and hurts American consumer and developers likewise , ” said Rick VanMeter , executive director of the CAF . “ The DOJ complaint detail Apple ’s long account of illegal conduct — abusing their App Store guidelines and developer agreements to increase prices , extract steep fee , degrade user experience , and give-up the ghost off contest . The DOJ join regulator around the world , who have recognize the many harms of Apple ’s abusive behavior and are working to address it . ”
Epic Games declined TechCrunch ’s request to comment . Sweeney , who is unremarkably outspoken about these issues , has also been reticent on the issue .
“ I ’ll be off Twitter antitrust commentary between now and the end of my testimonial in the Australian Epic v Apple and Google test in Melbourne , ” Sweeneyposted , alongside a exposure he took in Melbourne .
Apple sued by DOJ over iPhone monopoly claim
For more on Apple ’s antitrust lawsuit , check here :
