Four major tech companies have backed Epic Games in its ongoing legal dispute against Apple. Meanwhile, the US Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit against Apple for monopolistic actions and antitrust violations.
Apple Accused by Tech Giants of Violating Court Order and Sued by the US DOJ
Apple Claimed to Have Violated Injunction
Amid the legal dispute between Epic Games and Apple, four major tech companies jointly filed an amicus brief* and backed Epic's claim that Apple is failing to comply with a court order issued at the 2021 antitrust trial. Microsoft, Meta (fka Facebook), X (fka Twitter), and Match filed with the Northern District of California in support of Epic's motion for an injunction against Apple's alleged violation of the court order.
The amicus brief purported that Apple had violated the express terms of the injunction, contravened the injunction’s fundamental purposes, and dealt adverse impacts on both consumers and app developers that extend beyond the Epic Games Store. Epic's motion for a new injunction will be deliberated in a hearing scheduled for April 30.
As defined, Amicus briefs* are filed by people who typically take the position of one side in a case, in the process supporting a cause that has some bearing on the issues in the case.
Their argument centered on Apple's anti-steering practices, particularly its requirements for in-app links to direct and alternative payment systems. Epic Games and the supporting companies asserted that these practices hinder competition by making alternatives to Apple's in-app purchase (IAP) system impractical for developers and unattractive to consumers.
Apple, on the other hand, maintained that it has fully complied with the court injunction and asserted that its new requirements regarding external payment links are essential for user privacy, security, and ecosystem integrity. The company argued that these measures promote user safety and clarity.
US DOJ Sues Apple for Sherman Antitrust Act Violation
Meanwhile, the United States Department of Justice recently filed a lawsuit against Apple, accusing the tech giant of monopolistic behavior in the smartphone market in violation of the Sherman Act. Sixteen state attorneys general have joined the federal department in this lawsuit.
The case was lodged to "rid smartphone markets of Apple’s monopolization and exclusionary conduct and to ensure that the next generation of innovators can upend the technological world as we know it with new and transformative technologies."
"Consumers should not have to pay higher prices because companies violate the antitrust laws," U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement. "If left unchallenged, Apple will only continue to strengthen its smartphone monopoly."
The lawsuit alleged that Apple engages in anticompetitive practices across various sectors, including cloud streaming gaming apps, messaging apps, digital wallets, smartwatches, and super apps—apps that offer multiple functionalities. "Protecting competition and the innovation that competition inevitably ushers in for consumers, developers, publishers, content creators, and device manufacturers is why Plaintiffs bring this lawsuit," read a statement in the lawsuit.
Source:
Epic Games, Inc. v. Apple Inc. Exhibit Proposed Amicus Brief — Document #904
Apple antitrust suit: United States of America vs Apple
US sues Apple over smartphone ‘monopoly’, citing cloud gaming as a key example
Microsoft, Meta, X and Match back Epic, say Apple ignores court ruling
