Elon Musk Says Tesla Cybercab and Optimus Production Will Start Slowly Before Rapid Growth 
Global DRAM Chip Shortage Puts Automakers Under New Cost and Supply Pressure 
Tesla Plans FSD Subscription Price Hikes as Autonomous Capabilities Advance 
South Korea Sees Limited Impact From New U.S. Tariffs on Advanced AI Chips 
Apple China Holiday Sale Offers Discounts Up to 1,000 Yuan on Popular Devices 
HKEX’s Permissive IPO Rules Could Open Opportunities for Korea to Strengthen Its Position in International Listings 
Memory Chip Shortage Drives Higher Gadget Prices and Weakens Global Tech Demand 
Google Seeks Delay on Data-Sharing Order as It Appeals Landmark Antitrust Ruling 
Baidu Shares Surge After Official Launch of Advanced Ernie 5.0 AI Model 
Apple Stock Jumps as Company Prepares Major Siri AI Chatbot Upgrade 
Intel Stock Slides Despite Earnings Beat as Weak Q1 Outlook Raises Concerns 
South Korea Seeks Favorable U.S. Tariff Terms on Memory Chip Imports 
OpenAI Launches Stargate Community Plan to Offset Energy Costs and Support Local Power Infrastructure 
U.S. Lawmakers Demand Scrutiny of TikTok-ByteDance Deal Amid National Security Concerns 
Morgan Stanley Flags High Volatility Ahead for Tesla Stock on Robotaxi and AI Updates 
ByteDance Finalizes Majority U.S.-Owned TikTok Joint Venture to Avert American Ban 
The United States District Court that handled the widely discussed Epic v. Apple case reached a verdict earlier this month. The “Fortnite” developer immediately filed an appeal and later asked Apple to reinstate its App Store developer account. However, the iPhone maker has declined that request, and now Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney is calling Apple a liar.
Sweeney took to social media the exchanges between Epic and Apple after US District Court Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers decided on Sept. 10. To recap, the court ruled that Apple is not a monopolist but found the company “engaging in anti-competitive conduct under California’s competition laws.”
The court ruled that Apple should allow developers to direct their customers to third-party payment options. But Judge Gonzalez Rogers also concluded that Apple’s removal of Epic accounts was “valid, lawful, and enforceable” after a breach of contract. The court also ruled that Epic should pay Apple 30% of its revenue of more than $12 million from “Fortnite” collected via Epic Direct Payment between August and October 2020.
Just last week, Epic agreed with Apple that we would play by the same rules as everyone else. pic.twitter.com/WOxsbnAFXE
— Tim Sweeney (@TimSweeneyEpic) September 22, 2021
On Wednesday, the Epic Games CEO shared a screenshot of his email to Apple executive Phil Schiller. Dated Sept. 16, Sweeney’s message was sent after Epic filed its appeal and asked for the reinstatement of their developer account. The latter, if granted, would mean “Fortnite” can return to iOS and macOS devices.
In the same email, Sweeney promised they would “adhere to Apple’s guidelines” once their products are back on the App Store. The Epic Games CEO received a response from Apple’s lawyer on Tuesday, basically saying they will not grant the request until all legal options are exhausted on the Epic v. Apple case.
“Apple has exercised its discretion not to reinstate Epic’s developer program at this time,” Apple lawyer Mark A. Perry said in response to Sweeney. “Furthermore, Apple will not consider any further requests for reinstatement until the district court’s judgement becomes final and nonappealable.”
Apple reiterated the ruling made by Judge Gonzalez Rogers as one of the factors why it is declining Epic’s request. It may also take a while until the day comes that “Fortnite” can return to iOS and macOS should Apple not budge with its current stance.
Photo by Joshua Hoehne on Unsplash
