An Australian judge has told Epic that its suit against Apple filed in Australia will temporarily be suspended as both the companies prepare for their ongoing lawsuit in the United States. Epic sued Apple in multiple countries, including Australia, to boost its chances of getting a favorable ruling.
The dispute between the two companies began last year when Epic tried to evade paying Apple’s 30% commission for providing a platform like the App Store and added a direct-payment system. When Apple learned about this, the company removed the game from its store, and the two companies have been dragged into legal battles since. Epic Games’ main argument is that Apple is running a monopoly and is controlling the market with its commission rate.
Australian judge suspends legal case between Epic Games and Apple, says to file the case in the U.S.
According to Gizmodo Australia, the legal suit has been suspended for three months by Justice Perram, and to move the case forward, Epic Games is required to file a lawsuit in California, United States alleging violations of Australian Consumer Law.
Justice Perram further ordered that if Epic Games continues the case in the U.S. then the proceedings will continue to be stayed but can be brought back to Australian courts should the court in California declined to make a decision on these allegations.
We remain commited to our fight for increased competition on digital platforms in Australia and around the world. Australian consumers have the right to install apps from the sources they choose and avoid paying excessive prices for apps. We will continue supporting the Australian government and regulators in their pursuit of fair competition in mobile app marketplace.
The Fortnite creator gave a statement in which it said that it is fully committed to its fight in Australia and around the world. The company can also make an appeal, but an appeal will not be heard until November. No matter what decision the Fortnite developer arrives at, the case is currently suspended while the legal battle continues in the United States. Both the companies will meet in court on the 3rd of May.
The Cupertino tech giant claimed earlier this month that the Fortnite developer had been planning the antitrust lawsuit for months in advance in an effort to draw more attention to Fortnite. According to Apple, the popular game developer had a filing named Project Liberty that was created in an attempt to paint Apple as the bad guy while reviving the lost interest of users in Fortnite.
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