Epic Games Wins Appeal for Right to Sue Apple in Australia

In Australia, the hearing on the case of Epic Games and Apple will continue. He was “frozen” in April due to a similar trial in the United States. But now the court agreed with the arguments of the creators of Fortnite and recognized that the situation should be considered from the point of view of local laws.

Fortnite

Epic Games filed an antitrust lawsuit against Apple in the Federal Court of Australia last November. She said the Cupertino-based company was violating Australian competition and consumer protection laws. According to Epic Games, Apple forces developers to distribute iOS apps only through the App Store and use Apple’s payment system exclusively in them.

In December, Apple appealed the lawsuit, asking the Australian court to stop the proceedings due to the fact that the same lawsuit was already underway in the United States. In April, the court granted this request.

Epic Games later filed an appeal, in which it convinced the court to return to the case.

“Epic Games is pleased that the case will return to the Federal Court and will be considered in terms of Australian laws,” the company said in a statement. “This is a step forward for Australian consumers and developers who have the right to competitive pricing and fair access to app stores.”

Apple has already stated that it is going to file a reciprocal appeal.

Recall that the proceedings between the companies began last August. The reason was that Apple removed the Fortnite game from the App Store after it became possible to pay for content directly to developers bypassing the commission.

In May 2021, a three-week hearing was held, which can be read in detail here. No decision has been made yet.