The developer of Fortnite, Epic Games, is suing Apple and Google following both their decision to pull the hit game from their app stores over direct-payment disputes. At the moment, lovers of the game cannot download and install Fortnite on phones via their app stores.
The bone of contention is Epic’s decision to include a direct-payments service in its Fortnite app. This in turn helps the developer to circumvent Apple’s and Google’s payments systems and as a result, avoid the up to 30% charge Apple and Google levy on each transaction.
Epic in the suit alleges that Apple has become a “behemoth seeking to control markets, block competition and stifle innovation.”
“Apple is bigger, more powerful, more entrenched, and more pernicious than monopolies of yesteryear. Apple’s size and reach far exceed that of any technology monopolist in history,” epic said in the suit.
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In the suit against Google Epic says the tech giant had abandoned its idealistic roots. Also saying that Android’s claim of being an open ecosystem is a “broken promise.”
“In 1998, Google was founded as an exciting young company with a unique motto: ‘Don’t Be Evil’. Twenty-two years later, Google has relegated its motto to nearly an afterthought and is using its size to do evil upon competitors, innovators, customers, and users in a slew of markets it has grown to monopolize,” Its suit against Google read.
Both Apple and Google had earlier removed Fortnite from their App Store because the game violated guidelines. Apple says the rules apply equally to every developer and are designed to keep the store safe.
This row reopens a previous issue between developers and store owners. The developers say that Apple forces them to pay commissions for any purchases made on apps, with no alternative.
They also complain that Google forces partners to bundle and promote its own apps on their devices. Both companies have also been accused of stiffing fair competition and building in preference for their respective apps.
The opposing parties say that the companies are too restrictive and that they take too large a commission for sales made on their platforms.
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