A legal battle is brewing between Apple and Epic Games with the iPhone maker filing a countersuit against the "Fortnite" maker for breach of contract.
The accusations and counteraccusations began when Epic Games filed a lawsuit against Apple on Aug. 13 for allegedly removing the popular game "Fortnite" from the App Store. The iPhone maker, for its part, claimed that Epic Games baited them into removing "Fortnite" and shortly thereafter filed a prepared lawsuit against Apple. On Tuesday, the Cupertino giant filed a countersuit against Epic Games in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.
The iPhone maker alleged in its countersuit that Epic committed a breach of contract. At present, both Apple and Epic Games say their lawyers are preparing to face each other in a preliminary injunction hearing on Sept. 28, which will determine whether or not "Fortnite" is going back to the App Store.
Apple, in its countersuit, is demanding that Epic Games pay the iPhone maker for the alleged breach of contract. The Cupertino-based company stated that the lawsuits filed are nothing more than just simple disagreements over money.
In a statement released to the press, Apple claimed that while Epic Games presents itself as a contemporary corporate Robin Hood, it is actually a multi-billion dollar business that does not want to pay the tremendous benefits it gets from the App Store. The iPhone maker added they decided to file a countersuit after the "Fortnite" maker made some demands that amounted to special treatment. The Cupertino-based company also said that Epic's cries of retributions appear very much in contrast with its alleged blatant breach of contract and unfair business practices, which allow them to earn billions in sales, as well as from consumers who they charge up to $99.99 for "V-Bucks."
Apple further alleged that for many years, Epic Games took advantage of everything that the App Store offered them. It made use of the tools, software, and technology, as well as customer reach and marketing opportunities that the iPhone maker provided so that Epic can bring games like Fortnite and Infinity Blade to Apple customers worldwide. The Cupertino-based company also alleged in its countersuit that Epic enjoyed the tremendous resources that App Store offered to create new opportunities for developers and to help them innovate.
The iPhone maker, in its countersuit, said that the "willful, brazen, and unlawful conduct" of Epic Games must not go unpunished. Apple said that neither Epic Games CEO Mr. Tim Sweeney's self-righteous demands, nor the scale of his business, can justify the deliberate contractual breaches committed by Epic, along with its tortious conduct and unfair business practices.
Along with Apple's countersuit, the Cupertino giant also submitted a 67-page document that narrates the perspective of the company on their situation with the "Fortnite" developer. The iPhone maker is asking the court to hold Epic Games to its contractual obligations, award Apple with compensatory and punitive damages, as well as order the Epic to refrain from engaging in unfair business practices.
