Fortnite developer Epic Games, who are currently in danger of being evicted from the Apple App Store, is looking to recruit allies in its battle with Apple, reports The Information.
The report says Epic has over the last few weeks been reaching out to other tech firms with the hopes of forming a “coalition” of companies that don’t agree with Apple’s business policies.
Apple last week removed Fortnite from the App Store, just hours after Epic Games debuted a new direct payment option to get around Apple’s in-app purchases rules that give the Cupertino firm a 30% cut of the action. Epic Games immediately filed a lawsuit against Apple for pulling Fortnite from the App Store.
Epic has reportedly been in preliminary discussions with Spotify – who has had their one disputes with Apple over App Store rules – but the music streaming company has yet to join up for the battle. Spotify has however weighed in on the dispute, saying it applauds Epic’s decision to “take a stand against Apple.”
“We applaud Epic Games’ decision to take a stand against Apple and shed further light on Apple’s abuse of its dominant position. Apple’s unfair practices have disadvantaged competitors and deprived consumers for far too long. The stakes for consumers and app developers large and small couldn’t be higher and ensuring that the iOS platform operates competitively and fairly is an urgent task with far-reaching implications.”
The Information supposes that Epic may find it difficult to collect allies in its battle with Apple, even if many companies are sympathetic to its plight. Executives at other companies are reportedly concerned that such a coordinated effort could violate antitrust laws. There is also concern over what role a broader anti-Apple group might have.
It isn’t clear exactly what role a coalition would play, if Epic succeeds in forming one. Companies with concerns about Apple are already having informal discussions about their issues with other like-minded companies behind the scenes. One of the people aware of Epic’s discussions with other companies described it as an apparent effort to coordinate public messaging about Apple.
Apple yesterday informed Fortnite publisher Epic Games it will terminate the company’s complete access to its App Store and app development tools. Epic Games today said that Apple told it that on August 28, all access will be terminated.
The termination will also end Epic’s access to the development tools it uses to create software for the Unreal Engine it offers to third-party developers for use in their games. That move could have a significant impact on all of the Mac and iOS apps and games that use Epic’s Unreal Engine.
Epic has responded to Apple’s move by filing a court order in a Nothern California court to prevent Apple from removing Epic’s access to the App Store.
(Via MacRumors)
