After a week since Apple took Fortnite off of the App Store for violating Apple’s rules after releasing a direct payment system inside Fortnite that bypasses the App Store’s payment system. Epic Games filed lawsuit against them; now Apple has responded for the first time since Epic launched its #FreeFortnite campaign. This also comes after Epic asked for Fortnite to temporarily be put back on the App Store while the legal battle continues. One of the things that Apple has brought up are emails that Tim Sweeny, CEO, Epic Games wrote asking for a special deal. Tim Sweeny said that this isn’t the case.
Apple has responded, with Phil Schiller who runs the App Store saying: “On June 30, 2020, Epic’s CEO Tim Sweeny wrote my colleagues and me an email asking for a ‘side letter’ from Apple that would create a special deal for only Epic that would fundamentally change the way in which Epic offers apps on Apple’s iOS platform.”
Part of the email that Tim Sweeny sent to CEO Tim Cook and other top Apple executives said, “because of restrictions imposed by Apple, Epic is unable to provide consumers with certain features in our iOS apps. Apple would need to provide a side letter or alter its contracts and standards documents to remove such restrictions to allow Epic to provide a competing app store and competing payment processing option to iOS customers. We hope that Apple will also make these options equally available to all iOS developers.” Tim Sweeny has since responded saying that Apple’s characterization is misleading.
“In the wake of its own voluntary actions, Epic now seeks emergency relief. But the ’emergency’ is entirely of Epic’s own making,” Apple’s lawyers said. The decision to place Fortnite back on the App Store per Epic Games’ restraining order will be made on Monday.