Epic Games, the creator of the popular online game Fortnite, secured a partial victory in an Australian court in its ongoing legal battle against Google and Apple. The case, led by U.S. billionaire CEO Tim Sweeney, alleges that the tech giants engaged in anti-competitive behavior in managing their app stores.
On Tuesday, Federal Court Justice Jonathan Beach upheld significant parts of Epic’s claims that Google and Apple abused their market dominance and employed restrictive trade practices in violation of Australian competition laws.
The judge found that the overwhelming control Google and Apple have over the app market substantially reduced competition, breaching the law. However, Justice Beach dismissed some of Epic’s accusations, including claims that Google and Apple’s actions constituted unconscionable conduct under Australian legal standards.
Sweeney is also pursuing similar legal challenges against the two companies in courts in the United States and the United Kingdom.
The dispute began in August 2020 after Apple’s App Store and Google’s Play Store removed Fortnite when Epic introduced a direct payment option in the game, bypassing the platforms’ payment systems.
The court ruled that both Google and Apple used contracts and technical measures to pressure developers, including Epic, into selling their apps exclusively through their dominant app stores.
Epic responded enthusiastically to the decision, calling it “Another HUGE WIN for Epic Games!”
Apple stated that it faces intense competition in all markets where it operates and welcomed the court’s dismissal of some of Epic’s claims. However, it expressed strong disagreement with other parts of the ruling.
Google said it would carefully review the judgment and noted the possibility of appealing the decision before a full bench of the Federal Court.
“We disagree with the court’s description of our billing policies and practices, as well as its conclusions regarding some of our past partnerships, all of which have been shaped within a highly competitive mobile environment to benefit users and developers,” Google commented.
Justice Beach has yet to release the detailed written judgments, which span 952 pages for Epic’s case against Apple and 914 pages for the case against Google.
He provided an oral summary of his findings during a 90-minute hearing on Tuesday.
Lawyers will return to court at a later date, yet to be scheduled, to argue over what damages Epic may be entitled to following the ruling.
Also Read:
Google’s Appeal Rejected in Antitrust Case Brought by Fortnite Creator
Trump to Spotlight Apple’s Additional $100 Billion U.S. Investment, Bringing Total to $600 Billion
