Epic v. Apple final day in court: A glimpse of what comes next
By The Washington Post
By Shannon Liao
The Epic Games v. Apple trial wrapped up its final day on Monday. The antitrust case attracted broad attention due to the subject matter and the involved parties - two massive companies behind enormously popular products - and shed light on the secretive gaming industry. The trial birthed new memes and dragged in other gaming companies like Microsoft and Roblox. Now, the dust is starting to settle as we wait for a decision later this year.
U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers said she ll do her best to sift through hundreds of exhibits entered into evidence to deliver a ruling within weeks, if not months. But there s a lot we already know: Here s everything that happened over the last three weeks, what we ve learned and what s next.
In Antitrust Trial, Tim Cook Argues Apple Doesnât Hurt App Makers
The chief executive of Apple, which was sued by the gaming company Epic, said his company had invested heavily on security and had lowered some fees in its App Store.
Tim Cook, chief executive of Apple, leaving the courthouse on Friday.Credit.Jim Wilson/The New York Times
May 21, 2021Updated 8:19 p.m. ET
Tim Cook, testifying on Friday in a trial that could undermine Appleâs efforts to fend off growing scrutiny of its power, defended his business from accusations that it hurt app makers while on the hunt to expand its profits.
Day 13 of the ongoing antitrust trial between Epic Games and Apple saw the latter s head of games business take to the stand, offering more insight into how the relationship between the two.
Michael Schmid discussed how Apple worked closely with Epic on both engineering problems and marketing efforts around Fortnite.
He noted the former became a never-ending crescendo and a pretty demanding relationship, with Apple staff receiving calls in the early hours of the morning and even on Christmas day to help fix issues with the popular battle royale.
Schmid confirmed he worked directly on the Epic account and was very aware of the marketing efforts arranged between the two companies, which included promotional emails, social media posts and even editorial on the App Store around big in-game events like the launch of Chapter 2.