Epic Games vs. Apple: European Showdown Heats Up

Epic Games has accused Apple of obstructing its efforts to launch a games store on iPhones and iPads in Europe. The dispute centers on Apple's rejection of Epic's app design, citing similarity to its own App Store buttons. This is the latest in a series of legal battles between the two companies over app store policies.

In a new development in their ongoing feud, Epic Games accused Apple on Friday of blocking its attempts to set up a games store on iPhones and iPads across Europe. This marks the latest escalation in a longstanding dispute over Apple's control of the iOS app ecosystem.

Epic Games revealed that Apple has twice rejected its submissions due to similarities between the design of certain buttons and those used by Apple's App Store. 'We are using the same naming conventions for 'Install' and 'In-app purchases' that are common in popular app stores across various platforms, following standard conventions for iOS apps,' Epic stated on social media platform X.

Furthermore, Epic argued that Apple's rejections are 'arbitrary, obstructive, and in violation of the Digital Markets Act (DMA),' and has raised these concerns with the European Commission. While Apple indicated continuing efforts to resolve the issue, the European Commission chose not to comment.

The conflict between Epic and Apple began in 2020 when Epic accused Apple of violating U.S. antitrust rules by charging up to 30% commissions on in-app payments within its iOS platform. Although Apple proposed changes to its App Store policies earlier this year to comply with the DMA, EU regulators deemed these revisions insufficient, launching a subsequent investigation into the new contract requirements for app developers and stores.

(Disclaimer: With inputs from agencies.)