It is an unexpected party that has just supported Epic Games in the antitrust case between the studio and Apple.
If Epic has still not won its case against Apple, the development studio can fortunately count on strong support. According to the sites CNET and Foss Patents, the giant Microsoft, but also the Electronic Frontier Foundation, as well as the attorneys general of 35 U.S. states have publicly expressed their support for the creator of Fortnite with the United States Court of Appeals.
The Sherman Act in question
To defend the Epic case in the legal imbroglio between the company and the giant Apple, the attorneys general thus argued that contrary to what had been said during the first trials, the first section of the Sherman Act (figurehead of American antitrust legislation) did indeed apply to unilateral contracts, and therefore to the conditions imposed by Apple for developers of applications compatible with its devices.
In addition to the numerous errors made during the trial, Epic’s supporters also argue that the court did not correctly estimate the extent of anti-competitive practices of GAFAM, which according to them would be largely harmful to the creators of applications.
On his side, Microsoft is also worried about Apple’s hegemony. Despite also having a dominant position in the market, the company founded by Bill Gates believed that it was in its own interest to maintain competition and innovation in the market. It must be said that if Apple has been at war with Epic for two years already, it does not do Microsoft’s business either, still refusing to welcome competing cloud game services like Xbox Game Pass Ultimate on its devices.
Apple persists and signs
For its part, the Apple does not intend to change its tune. Asked by CNET, a company spokesperson said “optimistic” whether the court would choose to uphold its initial decision.
