The judge at the centre of the Epic Games and Apply lawsuit has warned both parties that the outcome may not be favourable for either company
Neither Epic games nor Apple might win the Lawsuit
U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers says she thinks there will be no winner in the ongoing Epic Games vs Apple lawsuit.
She says she remains unconvinced that Apple’s App Store allows for any “real competition”.
The judge also questioned the motive behind Epic Games’ lawsuit against Apple. She said it could turn the Fortnite creator from “a multibillion-dollar company into a multitrillion-dollar company.”
Epic Games, the makers of Fortnite, file separate cases against Apple and Google
Epic Games accused the trillion-dollar companies of using their control of the iOS and Android markets to breach laws forbidding the misuse of market power.
And there does appear to be enough evidence for the judge to completely upend the $142 billion app store market.
Epic Games has filed legal papers in response to Apple, read more here: https://t.co/c4sgvxQUvb
— Fortnite (@FortniteGame) August 13, 2020
The trial revealed the stakes at play for both Epic Games and Apple
The judge assessed a range of options, ranging from leaving Apple’s App Store as it is, to ordering a radical overhaul of the company’s policies.
If she opts for the latter, it would completely change the market.
Apple’s App Store makes around $20 billion a year for the tech giant, meaning they have a lot to lose.
Epic Games also has a lot riding on the lawsuit. Apple removed Fortnite from its app store last year. The game made Epic $5 billion in 2020 from the App Store alone.
Australia’s consumer watchdog enters the showdown
This comes amid reports that Google may also enter the fray before a Federal Court appeal.
The decision could result in a US court determining if app stores run by tech Giants breach Australian competition law.
