Apple is facing legal problems after a federal judge issued an order demanding that the company explain its refusal to implement a judicial order stemming from its high -profile antitrust dispute with epic games.
In a fiercely formed order issued on Monday, US District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers addressed Apple to appear in court and justify why he should not face sanctions for allegedly breaking the 2021 order that required it to facilitate the restrictions of application stores to third parties developers.
“Of course, Apple is fully capable of resolving this issue without further information or hearing,” the judge wrote on Monday.
The order, filed with the US District Court for the Northern County of California, demands that an Apple official “personally responsible for securing compliance” will appear in court on May 27 “if the parties do not submit a joint notice that the matter is resolved …”
The ranking follows a move from epic games seeking to enforce the original order, which mandated Apple to allow developers to include external links or buttons in their applications to facilitate alternative payment methods, bypassing the purchase system within the app.
According to Judge Rogers, Apple has failed to respect the terms of this ruling and continued to impose conditions for developers undergoing the court’s purpose.
“This is an order, not an negotiation,” she wrote in a special decision last week. “There is no action because a willfully award a court order.”
The judge’s criticism extended to the CEO of Apple Tim Cook, which she said rejected internal recommendations to implement the order.
“Inside, Philip Schiller had protected Apple to agree with the order,” Rogers wrote. “But Tim Cook ignored Schiller and instead allowed leading financial official Luca Maestri and his finance team to persuade him otherwise. Cook chose poorly.”
Rogers also accused Apple’s Deputy Chairman, Alex Roman, lying under trial.
“To hide the truth … novel … completely lied under the oath,” she wrote, adding that Apple “adopted lies and abuses in this court.”
The last order of the judge gives Apple until Wednesday to submit an answer explaining why the EPIC motion to enforce the order should not be given.
Anydo response from epic must be delivered until Friday.
If the parties do not reach a resolution and do not notify the court together, Apple official appointed in appearance must attend the Oakland Federal Court personally.
Apple at the beginning of this month responded with a brief statement saying, “We do not strongly agree with the decision. We will respect the court order and appeal.”
The dispute dates back to 2020, when EPIC games, “Fortnite” manufacturer, Apple suggested for allegedly monopolistic practices related to the App Store.
In 2021, Judge Rogers mainly decided in favor of Apple, but issued a main order that prohibited the company from preventing developers from informing users about alternative payment options. This order is now at the center of the latest legal storm.
According to the court, Apple drafted a 27% commission fee for purchases made outside its ecosystem-a suspected to have been calculated to exceed any costs that developers may suffer using third-party payment methods.
The novel fake that Apple had not appreciated those costs, but the internal documents showed differently.
The judge also revealed that Apple had already completed its external purchase fee structure by July 2023, opposing Rome’s sworn testimony that politics had not been completed until January 2024.
The order to indicate the cause adds to the pressure that the apple is under, after Judge Rogers referred to the US law office on possible charges of criminal contempt against the company and individuals involved.
Director General of Tim Sweeney Epic Games welcomed the decision.
“It’s a great victory for developers,” he said. “This forces Apple to compete. That’s what we loved all together.”
The next hearing on May 27 may be an important moment for Apple while sailing on control over its App Store practices and executive behavior.
The post has requested comments from Apple and Epic Games.
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