Two organizations filed a joint amicus brief, siding with Apple over a U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers ruling on attorney–client privilege limits in the Epic Games lawsuit, reports 9to5Mac.
On May 1 US District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers said that Apple violated a court order requiring it to open up the App Store to third-party payment options and must stop charging commissions on purchases outside its software marketplace.
In reaction to this decision, two companies, TechNet and the Association of Corporate Counsel, filed an amicus brief calling attention to the fact that “In modern corporate environments, the overlap of [legal and business council] becomes more pronounced,” and that the court’s decision could establish a dangerous precedent, creating legal uncertainty for companies trying to do the right thing.
TechNet is a national, bipartisan network of technology CEOs and senior executives that promotes the growth of the innovation economy. The Association of Corporate Counsel that promotes the common professional and business interests of in-house counsel who work for corporations, associations, and other organizations through information, education, networking, and advocacy.
This is all part of an ongoing global legal battle between Apple and Epic. On Aug. 13, 2020, Epic Games announced that it had introduced a new direct payment option in the Fortnite app for iPhone and iPad, allowing players to purchase 1000 V-Bucks for US$7.99 rather than $9.99 through Apple’s in-app purchase mechanism. Shortly thereafter, Apple removed the gamer from the App Store for violating store polices and followed up by shutting down the company’s developer account.
Epic immediately filed a lawsuit against Apple in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.In September 2020 Apple filed a countersuit to stop the game maker from using its own payment system for Fortnite. Apple also accused Epic of theft and sought extra monetary damages beyond breach of contract.
The legal battle has bounced back and forth with lawsuits and counter-lawsuits ever since.
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