Epic Games extends legal battle with Apple down under

Epic Australia
Epic Australia (Image credit: Epic Games)

What you need to know

  • Epic Games is suing Apple again, this time in Australia.
  • The suit alleges that Apple's conduct is "unconscionable, and breaches Australian Consumer Law."

Epic Games has today announced it is suing Apple in Australia over its App Store and alleged antitrust practices.

In a press release the company stated:

Today Epic Games launched legal proceedings in Australia against Apple, extending its fight to make digital platforms fairer for consumers and developers.Today's legal claim, filed in the Federal Court of Australia, alleges Apple's conduct in its App Store is a misuse of market power and substantially lessens competition in-app distribution and payment processes. This development comes after proceedings were brought by Epic against Apple in the US on 13 August 2020. Epic's claim states Apple's conduct is unconscionable and breaches the Australian Consumer Law as well as various sections of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth).

The suit, of course, follows Epic's mammoth legal battle against Apple in the US over alleged antitrust practices, due to call for trial next year. Epic, in its release, says Apple "has locked down and crippled the ecosystem by imposing an absolute monopoly on distribution and through the restrictions placed on in-app purchases," preventing entire categories of business and applications from being developed in their ecosystem.

Epic says that like its U.S. lawsuit, it isn't seeking any monetary compensation, but "fair access and competition that will benefit all consumers."

You can read the full report and legal filings here.

Stephen Warwick
News Editor

Stephen Warwick has written about Apple for five years at iMore and previously elsewhere. He covers all of iMore's latest breaking news regarding all of Apple's products and services, both hardware and software. Stephen has interviewed industry experts in a range of fields including finance, litigation, security, and more. He also specializes in curating and reviewing audio hardware and has experience beyond journalism in sound engineering, production, and design. Before becoming a writer Stephen studied Ancient History at University and also worked at Apple for more than two years. Stephen is also a host on the iMore show, a weekly podcast recorded live that discusses the latest in breaking Apple news, as well as featuring fun trivia about all things Apple. Follow him on Twitter @stephenwarwick9