Apple must suspend non-APP store sales committees, the judge says
apple Inc. violated a court order that requires the App Store to be opened to external payment options and that requires requests for purchases outside the software market to be suspended, a federal judge said in a federal ruling that introduced the company to prosecutors.
US District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers was on his side on Wednesday.FortniteMaker Epic Games Inc. on claims that iPhone Maker failed to comply with an order issued in 2021 after discovering that it was engaged in anti-competitive conduct in violation of California law.
Gonzalez Rogers also introduced the case to federal prosecutors to find out whether Apple committed a court criminal comment charge for its 2021 ruling.
The judge discovered that Apple “deliberately” violated her injunction.
“We did so with the express intention of creating a new anti-competitive barrier that would maintain a design and effectively valuable revenue stream. “It was a serious miscalculation that this court thought would tolerate such disobedience.”
Apple did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney said in a social media post that the company is coming back Fortnite Next week at the US app store.
Following the 2021 trial, Gonzalez Rogers said Apple’s mostly ally and that its app store policy did not violate federal antitrust laws. However, she asked the company to let the developer bypass the in-app payment tool in order to avoid a fee of up to 30%. The decision was ultimately upheld by the US Supreme Court.
Apple allowed developers to point users to the web to complete the transaction for in-app purchases, but developers had to pay the company a 27% reduction in revenue generated.
Over the weeks of February and last year, Gonzalez Rogers appeared to be skeptical of Apple’s compliance, questioning whether it inappropriately protects information by asserting the confidentiality of its lawyers and clients.
In ruling Wednesday, the judge said Apple tried to hide its violation of its 2021 order.
“After two sets of evidence hearings, the truth emerged,” wrote Gonzalez Rogers. “Even though we know its obligations, Apple has continued its anti-competitive actions solely to block the goal of the injunction and maintain its revenue stream.”
The judge said that Apple’s vice president of finance, Alex Roman, lied to his witness position.
The case is Epic Games Inc.v. Apple Inc., 20-CV-05640, US District Court, Northern District of California (Oakland).
This story was originally introduced Fortune.com