According to the latest reports, last month, Apple basically won a major victory in the legal battle with Fortnite developer Epic Games. At that time, judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers ruled that when Epic activated the code hidden in its iPhone and iPad popular battle games, it was a violation of its developer contract with Apple, which violated App Store regulations.
In a legal document on Monday, Google borrowed this legal strategy from Apple. In this 43-page document, Google described how Epic activated a similar hidden code in its Google Play Store app last year, which violated Epic’s Contractual Agreement rules and led to the application being proposed. Google said that Epic then started a public relations campaign aimed at discrediting and harming Google and at the same time diverting attention from Epic’s violations.
A Google spokesperson further pointed out that although Epic has reached a legal agreement with Google, it never intends to comply with the agreement and its actions put its users at risk, which harms Google and deserves the court’s approval. In response, Epic did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Google’s move marks the latest escalation of Epic’s ongoing legal battle against the two technology giants. Epic believes that Apple and Google have too much control over their respective app stores and have restrictions on what types of apps can be sold and how they operate.
Join RealMi Central on Telegram, Facebook & Twitter
The two companies also charge app developers through so-called in-app payments, where people buy digital goods in apps. The two companies charge up to 30% commissions for these purchases, and they have been defending this price amid growing criticism, including Epic.
Epic’s legal battle with Apple and Google began last year when it changed the way it charged people to purchase items in the Fortnite game, circumventing the two companies’ in-app payment systems and the commissions they charge.
Google stated in its legal documents that Epic willfully violated the terms of its developer agreement to avoid paying Google any fees. During the trial with Apple, Epic admitted that as part of its legal strategy, it had planned to carry out public relations activities to counter the rules of the app store.
Before the end of the lawsuit with Apple, Epic’s legal battle with Google has actually been suspended. Since then, both Apple and Epic have submitted their plans to appeal certain aspects of Rogers’ ruling in their lawsuit.