As part of a fierce spat over Apple’s dominance over the iOS app ecosystem, “Fortnite” producer Epic Games said on Friday that the tech giant was obstructing its plans to launch a games shop on iPhones and iPads in Europe.
The video game publisher said that Apple had twice rejected the documentation it provided to open the Epic Games Store because some of the buttons and labels resembled those of its App Store.
In a series of posts on X, Epic stated,
“We are following standard conventions for buttons in iOS apps, and we are using the same “Install” and “In-app purchases” naming conventions that are used across popular app stores on multiple platforms.”
“Apple’s rejection is arbitrary, obstructive, and in violation of the DMA (Digital Markets Act), and we’ve shared our concerns with the European Commission,” read the statement.
Laptops 1000In response to pressure from European regulators, Apple allowed Epic to launch its gaming shop on iOS devices in Europe in March.
The game company Epic and Apple have been involved in a legal dispute since 2020.
Epic claimed that Apple had broken US antitrust laws by charging up to 30% commissions on in-app purchases made on its iPhone Operating System (iOS) devices.
Apple suggested adjustments to its App Store standards early this year to comply with some DMA directives that became effective in March.
It provided an option to forego in-app purchases and permitted the use of other app stores on iPhones, but it also imposed a “core technology fee” that some developers felt was abusive.
EU antitrust authorities claimed last month that Apple’s updated conditions did not adhere to the DMA’s requirements. As a result, they opened a second inquiry into the company’s new contract clauses for independent app shops and developers.
