If you thought Spotify versus Apple was tough, watch the gloves really coming off in Apple’s dispute with Fortnite maker Epic Games.
In its first legal filing in response to Epic’s recent lawsuit, Apple has come out swinging. “Having decided that it would rather enjoy the benefits of the App Store without paying for them, Epic has breached its contracts with Apple, using its own customers and Apple’s users as leverage,” claimed the filing. “In the wake of its own voluntary actions, Epic now seeks emergency relief. But the ’emergency’ is entirely of Epic’s own making.”
Apple also revealed the contents of several emails from Epic’s CEO Tim Sweeney which it claims show the company asking for a “special deal” to bypass its in-app purchases system, and to launch its own unofficial app store for iOS devices.
It seems to be open season on App Store disputes though: blogging platform WordPress went public on Friday with the claim that Apple had blocked its ability to update its app until it supported in-app purchases for people buying domain names for their blogs. Apple moved quickly to resolve this dispute: “Since the developer removed the display of their service payment options from the app, it is now a free stand-alone app and does not have to offer in-app purchases. We have informed the developer and apologize for any confusion that we have caused,” said the company.
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