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By Jonathan Stempel
(Reuters) – Meta Platforms, Microsoft, Elon Musk’s Store.
The technology companies, which developed some of the most popular apps on the App Store, said Apple was in “clear violation” of the September 2021 court order by making it difficult for consumers to turn to cheaper means to pay for content. digital.
Apple declined to comment specifically on the allegation, which was contained in a filing in federal court in Oakland, California.
He referred to his Jan. 16 statement that he had fully complied with the court order, which he said would protect consumers and “the integrity of the Apple ecosystem,” while ensuring that developers do not profit from anything. .
Epic had sued Apple in 2020, saying it violated antitrust law by requiring consumers to obtain apps through the App Store and charging developers up to 30% commissions on purchases.
The court order required Apple to allow developers to provide links and buttons to direct consumers to alternative payment options.
Last week, Epic demanded that Apple be held in contempt, saying that new rules and a new 27% fee for developers made links effectively useless.
In Wednesday’s filing, the technology companies said Apple’s conduct “for all practical purposes” consolidates anti-steering rules that the court found illegal, propping up Apple’s “excessive” commissions and harming consumers and developers.
“Apple’s restrictions on where and how developers can communicate with their users about their options for purchasing in-app content create significant barriers to competition and artificially inflate prices,” the document says.
In January, the US Supreme Court decided not to hear Apple’s appeal against the court order. It also decided not to hear Epic’s appeal of a lower court’s findings that Apple’s policies did not violate federal antitrust law.
Apple has until April 3 to formally respond to Epic’s filing. The company is headquartered in Cupertino, California, while Epic is headquartered in Cary, North Carolina.
The case is Epic Games Inc v. Apple Inc, US District Court, Northern District of California, No. 20-05640.
(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Bill Berkrot)