Cupertino-based Apple, Inc. has filed a counter lawsuit against Fortnite developer Epic Games. In its filing, Apple accused the video-game developer of stealing commissions.
Apple accused Epic Games of engaging in "subterfuge" by knowingly conducting "commission-theft" through a strategy that enticed users to pay it directly by offering them discounts and in-game currency. In its filing, Apple is asking the courts to order Epic Games to pay damages for breaching its contract.
Epic Games has yet to respond. However, the developer had previously stated that Apple's monopoly over in-app payments was "suppressing" free market competition. Epic Games also accused Apple of inflating prices, making it extremely hard for developers to generate respectable profits on its platform.
Epic Games originally filed an antitrust lawsuit against Apple last month. The suit came after Apple had decided to remove Fortnite from its mobile app store following a dispute over in-app purchase fees. Epic Games alleged that Apple's actions were in violation of U.S. antitrust law and that it was clear proof of its anticompetitive behavior.
Apart from the removal of its popular battle mobile video game, Apple had also moved to completely remove support for Epic Games Unreal Engine. Epic Game's graphics software platform is used in various third-party video games made by other developers.
In its original lawsuit, Epic Games sought a temporary restraining order to block the move. District Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, Judge Gonzalez Rogers, ruled in favor of Epic Games on the matter, ordering Apple to halt its ban of Epic Games Unreal Engine.
In its latest filing, Apple argued that Epic Games was to blame for creating the issue in the first place. By enticing players to purchase in-game currency directly from the company instead of through Apple's in-app payments system, Epic Games was directly violating its signed contract with the company. Apple explained that Epic Games had "fired the first shot" and such an "unlawful" action cannot be left unchecked.
