Legal dispute in Australia: Apple with serious allegations against Epic
The conflict over the App Store opening continues in Down Under. Now Apple's lawyers have come out strongly against Epic Games.
Icons of App Store and Epic Games Store: Dispute has been ongoing for years.
(Image: Shutterstock/mundissima)
Apple and Epic Games have not yet ended their worldwide conflict over payment methods in the App Store, alternative app marketplaces, and other issues of platform freedom. New information is now emerging from Australia, where both rivals have also been in a dispute since 2020 (!).
Apple: Epic wants a free ride
The country's Federal Court decided last August that it saw the case at least partially like Epic Games and ruled that alternative app stores via sideloading must also be approved, just like alternative payment methods outside of Apple's. Because: Anything else would violate the country's “Competition and Consumer Act.” It remains unclear how the decision will be implemented. Epic Games wants a quick opening, while Apple is naturally against it.
Videos by heise
In a public statement from the iPhone manufacturer, which Macrumors has access to, it now states that Epic Games is trying to become a “free rider.” This would damage Apple's intellectual property rights. “Epic is now demanding a 'free ride' on Apple's platform and wants us to remove all security features we have ever implemented to protect users and developers.” But precisely that goes “far beyond what the court has decided.” Apple's lawyers are therefore currently seeking a legal outcome “that respects our intellectual property and ensures the protected, secure experience that consumers and developers expect from our platform.”
Court partially sympathizes with Apple's position
Epic Games would prefer that no payments to Apple be required in Australia at all. Instead, there should be sideloading, as is now known from Europe. However, Apple is trying to collect platform fees here. Epic Games wants to prevent this in other markets. The Australian court seems to share Apple's view more here and tends to believe that Apple has a right to be paid for its technology. There also seems to be sympathy for the protection of Apple's platform, which is why it prevents sideloading. However, none of this fits together well.
On Friday, there was therefore a first “case management hearing” at which further details were to be provided, but nothing is known about this yet. However, no further decisions are expected before December anyway. Only then will it be partially decided what Apple has to do. A final ruling, however, is not expected before spring 2026. The Australian legislator may intervene beforehand.
Empfohlener redaktioneller Inhalt
Mit Ihrer Zustimmung wird hier ein externer Preisvergleich (heise Preisvergleich) geladen.
Ich bin damit einverstanden, dass mir externe Inhalte angezeigt werden. Damit können personenbezogene Daten an Drittplattformen (heise Preisvergleich) übermittelt werden. Mehr dazu in unserer Datenschutzerklärung.
(bsc)
