The US gets a voice in an epic battle with Apple

Lawyers for Epic Games and Fortnite maker Apple will face off in an appeal hearing over strict App Store censorship, and lawyers for the US Department of Justice will agree.

SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) – The US Justice Department wants its opinion on Apple’s antitrust fight with Epic Games, which is due to be heard on appeal next month – a year after a California court ruled largely in favor of the iPhone maker.

On Friday, the Court of Appeals granted the circuit the right to send a representative to the hearing scheduled for October 21, when the two sides are expected to file their case again.
In 2021, a judge in California ruled against the company that produces Fortnite, which accused Apple of acting as a monopoly in its store of digital goods or services.

But the judge also prevented Apple from preventing developers from including “external links or other calls to action that direct customers to purchasing mechanisms” in their apps.
Apple can still force the use of its payment systems for in-app transactions.

Both sides are attractive.
Earlier this year, the Department of Justice requested time for the appeals hearing to express concerns about the trial judge’s interpretation of the disputed antitrust law in the case.

The Department of Justice lawyers argued in their memo: “The district court has made several legal errors that could jeopardize effective antitrust enforcement, particularly in the digital economy.”

Justice officials are investigating whether Apple and other tech giants are abusing their market clout with anti-competitive practices.

Lawyers for Apple, Epic and the Department of Justice will all speak to the Court of Appeals, which will also consider their written arguments.