Apple refutes allegations of violating court order in Epic Games lawsuit

Apple vs Epic Games: Apple, the iPhone maker, refuted allegations of violating a court order concerning its App Store practices and urged a California federal judge to dismiss Epic Games' request to hold it in contempt. The filing was submitted to US District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers in Oakland, who presided over Epic's 2020 lawsuit accusing Apple of antitrust violations due to its strict controls over app downloads and in-app transactions.

Apple criticised Epic's attempt to compel it to provide its tools and technologies to developers for free, asserting that Epic seeks to overly influence its business operations for its own gain. Epic declined to comment, and Apple did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

While Epic largely lost its case against Apple, Judge Rogers mandated Apple to grant developers more freedom in guiding app users to alternative payment methods for digital goods in 2021. The US Supreme Court declined to hear Apple's appeal of the injunction order in January.

Epic alleged last month that Apple was blatantly violating the court's injunction by imposing a 27 per cent fee on developers for certain purchases, rendering links for alternative payment options commercially impractical. Epic also claimed that Apple restricted some apps from informing users about alternative payment methods.

Other tech giants, including Meta Platforms, Microsoft, Elon Musk's X, and Match Group, echoed Epic's arguments, contending that Apple was in clear violation of the court's order. A similar case brought by Epic against Google is expected to result in a separate injunction affecting the Google Play Store, with a judge in San Francisco anticipated to issue a ruling later this year.

(With Reuters inputs)