Apple reportedly told an appeals judge on Thursday that video game developer Epic Games failed to prove any legal error in the previous judgment, making it impossible to overturn the key App Store. Lower court rulings in monopoly law.
Epic, best known for its Fortnite game, sued Apple last year for uncompetitive app payments rules, but most of its claims were not upheld by the courts. The court found at the time that Apple had legitimate reasons to compel some app developers, including Epic, to use Apple’s payment system and take a 15% to 30% commission on sales.
Following the ruling, Epic appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Apple said on Thursday that Epic had failed to come up with a reasonable alternative to App Store policies. “Epic asks the judge to overhaul the App Store, forcing Apple to abandon an integrated channel and digital content delivery model that helps ensure user security and privacy, and brings many other benefits to competition,” Apple said in a legal filing. Interests.”
Apple and Epic both plan to file a second round of defenses before the appeals committee is likely to hold a hearing next year. In support of Epic’s appeal, the attorneys general of 34 states and the District of Columbia said in January that Apple was stifling competition with its mobile app store.
An external defense in support of Apple will be held next Thursday. Experts and critics of the lower court ruling have said it was shocking that the judge found that Apple violated California’s unfair competition law but not federal law.
Similarly, Apple also questioned in Thursday’s cross-appeal: If the company didn’t violate federal law, how should it be liable under state law?