Epic Games, the developer of the popular game Fornite, among others, has filed an antitrust complaint against Apple in the European Union (EU) in an effort to fight for a more balanced playing field for developers and consumers.
“What’s at stake here is the very future of mobile platforms,” Epic Games Founder and CEO Tim Sweeney said in a blog post on Wednesday (Feb. 17). “Consumers have the right to install apps from sources of their choosing, and developers have the right to compete in a fair marketplace.” Sweeney added that the company “will not stand idly by” while Apple takes advantage of its dominant position. “It’s bad for consumers, who are paying inflated prices due to the complete lack of competition among stores and in-app payment processing. And it’s bad for developers, whose very livelihoods often hinge on Apple’s complete discretion as to who to allow on the iOS platform, and on which terms.”
The complaint was filed with the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Competition. It accuses Apple of executing “a series of carefully designed anti-competitive restrictions” that effectively got rid of payments and other rivals. The complaint also said that Apple controls the ecosystem of its operating system to benefit itself, which is in violation of the EU competition law.
Epic said that Apple’s anti-competitive behavior goes beyond payments and app distribution. The gaming company claims that Apple punished it for passing along direct-purchase savings to its users. Apple also reportedly refused to allow Epic to bring its gaming distribution service to iOS, even though it launched its own service.
“This is much bigger than Epic versus Apple – it goes to the heart of whether consumers and developers can do business together directly on mobile platforms or are forced to use monopoly channels against their wishes and interests,” according to the post.
Epic said its complaint is not seeking damages from Apple. Instead, it asks for fair access and competition that will offer numerous benefits to consumers and developers.
Epic launched a suit against Apple in August, alleging that Apple harmed game developers and payment processors. In October, a federal judge denied a request by Epic Games to force Apple to reinstate Fortnite in the App Store. In January, Epic said that Apple’s Fortnite ban was unlawful.
Legal proceedings against Apple are also underway in the U.S. and Australia.
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