Supreme Showdown: Epic’s Quest for Antitrust Justice Against Apple

Renowned video game developer Epic Games is not backing down in its antitrust legal challenge against tech giant Apple. Epic took some major steps this week, filing a cert petition with the Supreme Court to reignite a debate about whether Apple’s software business practices contravene federal antitrust laws. This is not the first time Epic Games has stood up against the iPhone makers. The feud between both companies started in 2020 when Epic Games, popular for its Fortnite game, sued Apple after its game was removed from Apple's platform. Epic had attempted a breach of Apple's app policies by giving their game players an alternative means of paying for Fortnite's in-game currency, dodging Apple's high fees. Alongside this attempted workaround, Epic Games rallied other developers against Apple's software regulations. An attempt by David against Goliath was greeted with partial success. In a recent lawsuit, Apple scored some points, as a federal judge resolved that Apple's ban on alternate software markets on its operating system didn't breach federal antitrust laws. However, Epic found solace when the judge ruled that Apple's restriction on developers informing customers of other payment methods contravened California’s Unfair Competition Law. Despite this victory, the battle has far from ended. Epic Games is now turning to the Supreme Court. It seeks to allow developers to guide iPhone users to other payment methods beyond Apple's restricted environment. Despite a recent denial from Justice Elena Kagan, this is a request Epic hasn't given up on. While the Supreme Court's decision will have a significant impact, on the surface, it’s a legal tit-for-tat between two industry powerhouses. However, deeper implications speak to the larger conversation about big tech monopolies, commerce freedom, and fairness in the digital economy. Will Epic Games be able to reshape the mobile app market rules? Only time will tell.