Epic Antitrust Case Against Apple In Australia Gets 3 Month Stay

An Australian judge has ruled that Epic’s lawsuit against Apple in Australia will be temporarily suspended as the two sides prepare for a trial in the US, Gizmodo Australia reported.

Apple had asked for a permanent stay of the case in Australia, arguing that the US and Australia cases were very similar, and that the matter should be settled in the original jurisdiction of the US.

The two companies are fighting over Epic’s battle royale game Fortnite, and the fees Apple charges. In August, Epic set up its own in-game payments system, effectively circumventing Apple’s App Store payments and avoiding the 30% surcharge Apple collects on App Store purchases. Apple then removed Fortnite from its iOS App Store for violating its rules. Epic fired back with an antitrust lawsuit seeking to establish Apple’s App Store as a monopoly and tried to rally Fortnite fans with a protest video mocking Apple’s iconic “1984” ad.

In November, Epic filed a similar legal claim against Apple in Australia, saying the iPhone maker’s conduct was “unconscionable, and breaches the Australian Consumer Law as well as various sections of the Competition and Consumer Act [of] 2010.” Epic has also filed similar claims against Google and its mobile app store. 

Australian Judge Nye Perram ordered Friday, April 9, that the case in that country be temporarily stayed for three months. He also said the proceedings will continue to be suspended in Australia if Epic continues to pursue its case in the US, but could bring the case back to Australian courts depending on the outcome in the US.

Want more news? Subscribe to CPI’s free daily newsletter for more headlines and updates on antitrust developments around the world.