|
Apple and Epic have been in a legal battle since August, when
the maker of the popular game launched its own in-app payment
system to circumvent what it called Apple's monopolistic
practices.
Epic in October had filed a motion in advance of Tuesday's
hearing, seeking the dismissal of Apple's counterclaims of
intentional interference with prospective economic advantage and
conversion, where in Apple had asked for lost App Store fees and
other monetary damages.
"It is hereby ordered that the application of John I. Karin is
granted," U.S. district judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers said in the
Tuesday filing, referring to the application by the lawyer for
Epic.
A judge in October had ruled that Apple could bar Epic's "Fortnite"
game from its App Store but must not harm Epic's developer tools
business, including the "Unreal Engine" software, which is used
by hundreds of other video games.
"This is a high-stakes breach of contract case and an antitrust
case and that's all in my view," U.S. District Judge Yvonne
Gonzalez Rogers told lawyers, according to Bloomberg.
"You can't just say it's independently wrongful," Bloomberg
quoted https://bloom.bg/3pgZDlx the judge as saying to a lawyer
for Apple, referring to Epic's conduct. "You actually have to
have facts," the judge said, adding that the rest of the
breach-of-contract case moves forward.
Apple and Epic did not respond to Reuters' request for comment.
The iPhone maker told Bloomberg that it disagreed with the
judge's decision on Tuesday, adding that it was clear that Epic
breached its contract with the company.
(Reporting by Bhargav Acharya in Bengaluru)
[© 2020 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2020 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.
|
|
