š Epic and Apple finally go to courtĀ
Day one of the Epic-Apple trial kicked off on Monday, and Epic went for an anti-competitive strategy.
The video game makerās CEO took the stand: Tim Sweeney described Appleās iOS as exerting too much control in its walled garden app store. Epicās lawyers pointed to old emails between Apple execs in which they said getting customers through their stores was āone of the best things we can do to get people in the ecosystem.ā
Meanwhile, Apple focused on security: In its opening statement, the company said it has created a system where some 2 million apps can thrive, both for customers and companies, by regulating the quality and security standards. (It cited the $750 million Epic has made as evidence of the success.) āEpic wants us to be Android, but we donāt want to be,ā Apple lawyer Karen Dunn said.
Epic tried to take down Appleās security defense
By being the center for all app purchases, Apple reasons it leads to greater quality and security. But Epic noted plenty of low-quality apps have made the cut over the years and shared an Apple execās email question why an obvious āripoff appā was a top seller.
The VerdictĀ
If Epic gets what it wants, iOS will look very different. Epic may be able to charge for in-app purchases -- the strategy that led to the litigation -- and Apple may have to allow other means for downloading apps than the app store. The trial is expected to last three weeks.