Epic Games lobbyists have drafted legislation that will be heard in North Dakota this week, in an effort to stop Apple and Google app stores from taking a cut in app sales, according to a report last weekend by The New York Times
Senate Law 2333, Introduced to the North Dakota Senate last week, tries to prevent major digital storefronts like Apple’s App Store and Google Play from forcing developers to distribute apps exclusively through their windows or to use their payment systems only. It also tries to prevent the companies behind these storefronts from penalizing developers who choose different distribution or payment methods. Epic is currently engaged in a legal battle over this issue, with both Apple and Google being taken to court after both storefronts are banned Fortnite when Epic introduced its own payment method last August in protest at the App Store’s sales cut by 30%. The Times writes that the debate on the North Dakota law began Monday and will be voted on this week.
The Times reports that North Dakota State Senator Kyle Davison “got the draft legislation from Lacee Bjork Anderson, a lobbyist at Odney Public Affairs in Bismarck. Ms. Anderson said in an interview that she was hired by Epic Games, the creator of the hit game FortniteAnderson said, “She was also paid by the Coalition for App Fairness, ”A nonprofit that includes Epic Games, among other companies like Spotify, and all searches “Fair treatment by these app stores and the platform owners who run them.”
Epic hired its first lobbyists the end of January, with people from both sides of the political aisle. While it may seem selfish for Epic to back the legislation, the U.S. government has been investigating big tech monopolies for a while. The Times reports that several states are investigating bills similar to North Dakota’s, or other measures limiting the power of these companies. While the bill, if passed, would only apply to companies operating in North Dakota, and only to companies generating more than $ 10 million in revenue, it could change the way Apple and its peers do business . The Times writes that Apple is opposed to the legislation, and “Apple’s chief privacy engineer, Erik Neuenschwander, testified that the bill ‘threatens to destroy the iPhone as you know it.'”
People with whom The Times spoke are unsure whether the bill will be passed.
Even if you don’t want to hand it over to Epic – and the company certainly is making it difficult—The problems the Fortnite case increases go beyond whether you can play a cartoon battle royale on your phone. (If you’ve lost track, no, you still can’t.) The case, which is currently due for trial in May, could benefit smaller developers and could blow Apple’s dominance over mobile apps like this in the Epic advantage. The North Dakota legislation could be another resource in Epic’s toolkit, and yet another example of the company making its desire to fill its pockets in a moral crusadeBut either way, it’s about more than just Fortnite