Epic Games, maker of online video game Fortnite has filed a fresh injunction against tech giant Apple as disputes between the companies continue over the latter’s App store policy.
Apple had removed Fortnite from the store after the game offered a discount on its virtual currency for purchases made outside of the app, from which Apple receives a 30% cut.
Epic has gone on to say that the fee is unfair. The game maker also disclosed that Apple has threatened to remove it from its developer programme, on 28 August. A move that will stop it from being able to offer any other games or apps on Apple platforms.
Offering in-app purchasing only is a condition of being on both Apple’s App Store and Google’s Play Store – and both companies take the same percentage of sales.
Fortnite was removed from both stores last week after circumventing the rule. It has filed separate legal complaints against them.
For now, Fortnite players already on these platforms for example- iPhone or Android phone can still access the game but will not get updates and new players cannot download it.
Apple has given Epic two weeks to re-instate the in-app payments if it wants Fortnite to return to the store.
In its latest legal papers, Epic says it will be “irreparably harmed” by being completely removed from Apple’s developer programme.
The ban would also include its Unreal Engine, a popular graphics tool widely used by third-party developers of other games, films, and virtual reality – meaning they too would have to find an alternative.
Apple on the other has come out to say that the rules applied to every app in the store and Epic had created the problem for itself by choosing to break the terms.
Apple said, “We won’t make an exception for Epic because we don’t think it’s right to put their business interests ahead of the guidelines that protect our customers.”
Epic accused Apple of operating “a complete monopoly” over the one billion users of its operating system, which underpins all Apple devices, including the iPhone, iPad, and Macbook.
Apple responded Epic had itself benefited from being on the App Store and had “grown into a multibillion-dollar business”.
Epic is not the first developer to take issue with the App Store’s fee structure, although it is perhaps the biggest.
In June, an email app called Hey also took a stand against it.
Developer, David Heinemeier Hansson at the time, while speaking with the BBC said, “If we don’t like the deal Apple is offering us – which is to either pay them 30% or get kicked out – what are we going to do about that? Where are we going to go?”
“If you launch a new piece of software today and you’re not available on the iPhone, you’re invisible.”
