Epic Games’ founder and CEO Tim Sweeney have filed a preliminary injunction against Apple in an attempt to restore Fortnite and it’s in-game purchasing system back to iOS.
Today we asked the Court to stop Apple’s retaliation against Epic for daring to challenge its unlawful restrictions while our antitrust case proceeds. This is a necessary step to free consumers and developers from Apple’s costly, anti-competitive control. https://t.co/r2XxhitjMp
— Epic Games Newsroom (@EpicNewsroom) September 5, 2020
Sweeney’s declaration explains that he created the Epic Games Store and Epic Online Services for Windows and Mac systems, with a vision to charge developers a 12% fee for in-game purchases that are processed by Epic. However, unlike Apple, Epic “Does not require that developers distribute their games through EGS to use Epic’s in-game purchasing system ”
Developers are free to process in-game purchases with their own payment processing system or to make use of third-party payment processors. Epic collects no fees from developers that distribute their game for free through EGS and do not use Epic’s in-game payment processing.
Back in late August, Tim Sweeney stated that their fight against Apple was not about money, it was about standing up against Apple’s monopoly, in his declaration to the court he reveals the negotiations between him and Apple’s leadership.
Apple has created rules and restrictions that prevent on iOS devices the open distribution of software that is currently available on personal computers. under these rules, Epic is unable to offer EGS to iOS users at all.
Apple’s In-App Purchase imposes a 30% tax on such transactions, the iOS developer also restricts Epic’s control over the customer service relationship. Sweeney wrote to Apple on June 30, 2020 and expressed his worries and need for Epic Games Store to be allowed on iOS and Mac devices.
The “Consumer Choice and Competition” asks Apple to change their payment processing policy, the second request is to allow Epic Games Store to be available through the iOS App Store and through direct installation.
If Epic were allowed to provide these options to iOS device users, consumers would have an opportunity to pay less for digital products, and developers would earn more from their sales. Epic is requesting that Apple agree in principle to permit Epic to roll out these options for the benefit of all iOS customers. We hope that Apple will also make these options equally available to all iOS developers in order to make software sales and distribution on the iOS platform as open and competitive on personal computers.
Apple’s defense to the court in a previous preliminary injunction revealed that Epic Games that has refused to comply with Apple’s conditions.
“They’ve followed [the guidelines] for the past decade until they [Epic Games] created this situation” … “They repeatedly submit Fortnite updates designed to violate the guidelines of the App Store.”
Source: Epic Games
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