Apple likens Epic Games’ current predicament, shut out of the App Store, to the company having “started a fire, and poured gasoline on it,” and now requesting help from the court to put it out.
Apple’s lawyers are referencing Fortnite maker Epic’s recent claims that it is suffering major harm by being blocked from the App Store. Then Apple really puts the boot in.
In a 37-page opposition filing, Apple writes that:
“For reasons having nothing to do with Epic’s claims against Apple, Fortnite’s popularity is on the wane. By July 2020, interest in Fortnite had decreased by nearly 70% as compared to October 2019. This lawsuit (and the front-page headlines it has generated) appears to be part of a marketing campaign designed to reinvigorate interest in Fortnite.”
In reference to Epic’s claims that it is suffering “reputational harm,” Apple’s lawyers claim that:
“If Epic were truly concerned that it would suffer reputational injury from this dispute, it would not be engaging in these elaborate efforts to publicize it. From all appearances (including the #freefortnite campaign), Epic thinks its conduct here will engender goodwill, boost its reputation, and drive users to Fortnite, not the opposite. That is not harm.”
Fortnite maker Epic and its fight with Apple
Apple and Epic have been battling since August. Hostilities commenced when Epic created a way for users to buy in-app purchases for Fortnite via a direct-payment system. This cut Apple out of the arrangement, thereby depriving it of its regular 30% commission. Apple responded by booting Fortnite out of the App Store, while also getting rid of Epic’s developer account and all its other games.
Epic responded with a lawsuit that accused Apple of being a monopoly. It also instituted various techniques to, essentially, tug on Superman’s cape. (Read: Try and get under Apple’s skin, while drumming up public support.) These include a parody of Apple’s iconic 1984 Macintosh ad, and a tournament in which the prizes had a distinctly anti-Apple vibe.
Who do you think is in the right in this Apple vs. Epic war? (Or are both equally culpable?) Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Via: The Verge
