- A judge has ordered Tim Cook to issue a statement for seven hours as part of Epic Games’ lawsuit against Apple.
- Epic sued Apple in August after its popular “Fortnite” game booted from the App Store.
- An update to the “Fortnite” app bypassed the policy that allows Apple to save 30% on in-app purchases.
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A California judge has ordered Apple CEO Tim Cook to issue a seven-hour statement as part of Epic Games’ lawsuit against the phone maker.
According to court documents, the creator of “Fortnite” Epic Games originally wanted Cook to remain in a statement for eight hours, a period shortened after Apple’s relapse, as Gizmodo first reported. Judge Thomas Hixon said seven hours is the amount of time that “a witness must suffer in order to be impeached.” However, Hixon said that longer would be “unjustified,” the documents said.
Cook’s testimony, although given out of court, could be used when the case goes to court, which begins in May.
Read more: Apple’s move to halve App Store commissions is a start, but it doesn’t solve the developer relationship problem
Hixon also pitched Apple’s proposal to subpoena rival Samsung’s internal documents, a request made as part of Apple’s mission to convince officials that the App Store’s business practices are similar to those of other companies. Hixon said the subpoena was “a wayward deep dive.” Apple remains under regulatory scrutiny for its App Store policies as lawmakers question whether they are anti-competitive and violate antitrust laws.
Apple did not immediately respond to Insider’s request for comment.
Apple’s heated relationship with Epic Games began in August, when Epic introduced its own payment service to the “Fortnite” game, bypassing Apple’s rules that require developers to use Apple’s own payment service. Apple and Google both take a 30% discount on in-app purchases as per their policies. Developers have long voiced their grievances with the practice, claiming that the 30% fee gives Apple an unfair advantage in the market because the company’s own apps don’t have to follow the same rules.
In response to Epic’s violation of Apple’s rules, Apple and Google kicked Epic out of the app stores, preventing anyone from accessing “Fortnite” on their devices. Epic responded with what appeared to be a well-prepared video making fun of one of Apple’s most famous advertisements. In it, Epic said Apple had an “App Store monopoly” and declared the company for retaliation against Epic.
Epic hit Apple and Google with lawsuits shortly after. Facebook said in mid-December that it would support Epic Games in its legal battle against Apple by providing the company with “relevant information … about how Apple’s policies have negatively impacted Facebook and the people and companies who use our services. “.
Facebook and Apple have a heated rivalry that dates back years. The former is reportedly preparing an antitrust suit against Apple targeting the App Store rules.
The Apple Epic Games debacle began shortly after a July 29 hearing, when Cook appeared before Congress alongside executives from Google, Amazon, and Facebook to ask questions about antitrust issues.