As the legal battle between Apple and Fortnite's developer Epic Games continues, it looks like Tim Cook will be joining the fray. With a judge ruling that Cook sit for a deposition, the Apple CEO can no longer avoid the Fortnite case.
Back in 2020, Epic Games put out an update for the Fortnite app and this is where the trouble began. Essentially, the change involved a way for Epic Games to get around the payment method for the iOS App Store. Once this came to light, Apple took punitive action by removing one of the most dominate battle royales from its storefront. This led to the current legal battle, where the developer is taking the stance that Apple is violating antitrust regulations.
Originally, part of Apple's request was for the judge to excuse Tim Cook from the deposition. However, it was denied, so now the CEO needs to sit for a seven-hour deposition. However, this is not the only part of the request that saw pushback. The judge also refused the company's request for a shorter four hour deposition. In addition, Apple's hope to subpoena documents from Samsung in relation to its distribution of Fortnite was turned down.
Time is ticking, as the Apple vs. Epic Games trial is supposedly going to start this May. While the rejections may be disappointing for Cook, there does seem to be some grounds for the decision. The ruling judge, Thomas S. Hixon, suggests that the request only limits the length of the deposition. Apple's compromise to four hours is also not acceptable in the judge's ruling due to there being more information than originally presented. Plus, Judge Hixon makes the assertion that Cook must sit for the deposition due to him being the only one at Apple who can testify about the company's views on competition.
As some may already be aware, this case does have potential to set some landmark precedent. Depending on the final ruling, the outcome could have consequences for any developer selling an app through the iOS store. With the Fortnite ban having such implications, it does make sense for Cook to sit for the deposition. Whether or not that could have been resolved in four hours, rather than seven, is impossible to say.
That said, onlookers may consider the moves by Epic Games to be suspect. Upon removal of Fortnite from the App Store, the developer immediately started the legal challenge and Free Fortnite PR campaign. It is fairly obvious that the company behind Fortnite had a good idea that Apple would take this route. Some players may wonder why Epic would focus time and resources on an expensive legal battle rather than fixing glitches or improving their flagship game. In any case, Cook's presence for the deposition should allow for the trial to start with any information necessary to result in a genuine ruling.
Fortnite is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
Source: Appleinsider