Epic Games has filed a new injunction against Apple after the latter threatened to remove the video game creator from its developer program on August 28.
The new injunction comes after Epic Games filed a legal complaint against Apple in a California court for removing its popular video game Fortnite from the App Store.
Fortnite ban
The ban on Fortnite was imposed following a game update that allowed players to purchase in-game currency at a lower rate if they bought directly from Epic, effectively bypassing Apple.
Using the App Store, Apple takes a standard 30% cut of sales from its compulsory payment system. Apple said Epic had taken the “unfortunate step of violating the App Store guidelines”.
Users of iOS devices can only legitimately load apps thru the App Store. Under its guidelines, any payment system apart from Apple’s own is strictly prohibited. This has been the cause of several high-profile conflicts between developers and Apple.
According to Epic, iPhone players who already installed the app should be able to continue playing until the launch of the next game update. After that, some features would be lost.
However, those using an Apple Mac computer will not be affected, since that version does not use the iOS App Store.
The game developer alleged Apple of effectively running a monopoly in both deciding what apps can appear on iPhones and demanding that its own payment system, with the relatively high 30% cut, be used.
Epic Games also filed a complaint against Google over its decision to remove Fortnite from the Google Play app store. Google imposed banned Fortnite from its app store several hours after Apple did.
Unlike Apple’s ban, android users may use app stores other than Google Play so it is still possible to install Fortnite from Epic Games’ own launcher app and the Samsung Galaxy app store.
According to Google, it runs an “open” system and would work to bring Fortnite back to its official app store.
The filing mentioned a deal between Epic Games and phone manufacturer OnePlus to make its games available “seamlessly” on their devices.
Epic explained: “But Google forced OnePlus to renege on the deal, citing Google’s ‘particular concern’ about Epic having the ability to install and update mobile games while ‘bypassing the Google Play Store’.”
New injunction vs Apple
In its latest legal filing, Epic Games claims that it will be "irreparably harmed" by being completely removed from Apple's developer program.
Its removal from the developer program means that its Unreal Engine, a popular graphics tool widely used by third-party developers of other games, films and virtual reality, will also be included in the ban, forcing the other developers to find an alternative tool.
Apple argued that the rules applied to every app in the store and Epic had created the problem for itself by choosing to break its policies. The company 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."
