Fortnite Game Ban: Fortnite’s Creator Epic Games Sues Google Over Ban from Play Store

A fight has been irrupted between Epic Games and Google over a ban from Play Store. The popular multiplayer gaming app Fortnite has been removed by both Apple and Google companies from its platform. Both Google Play Store and Apple App Store, this app is no longer available. Epic Games, the company that makes Fortnite Gaming App, launched a direct payment plan bypassing Google and Apple. That is a payment system under which app users can pay Direct Epic Games. Also Read – Apple iPhone 12 Launch Dates Leaked – Here’s Everything You Need to Know

Apple has said in a statement released – Also Read – In a First, Apple CEO Tim Cook Becomes Billionaire as Company Becomes World’s Most Valued

“Today, Epic Games took the unfortunate step of violating the App Store guidelines that are applied equally to every developer and designed to keep the store safe for our users. As a result, their Fortnite app has been removed from the store. Epic enabled a feature in its app which was not reviewed or approved by Apple, and they did so with the express intent of violating the App Store guidelines regarding in-app payments that apply to every developer who sells digital goods or services.” Also Read – Apple iPhone 12 Series Likely to Support China’s ‘BeiDou’ Navigation System

Whereas, Google said –

“The open Android ecosystem lets developers distribute apps through multiple app stores. For game developers who choose to use the Play Store, we have consistent policies that are fair to developers and keep the store safe for users. While Fortnite remains available on Android, we can no longer make it available on Play because it violates our policies. However, we welcome the opportunity to continue our discussions with Epic and bring Fortnite back to Google Play.”

Significantly, all such games have the option of these app purchases. That is, we have to pay to unlock some features of gaming. The rule is that Apple or Google, on whose platform this gaming app is, payment will be made only through their gateway. Since Google and Apple take 30% of these app purchase revenues of Epic Games. In such a situation, if this company takes direct payment from users, then Google and Apple will not be able to form a stake. It is obvious that both these companies have gone mad and they have removed this game from their platform.

In retaliation, after being banned by Google and Apple, Epic Games has now sued both these companies. Epic Games has alleged that the in-app payment policy of Apple and Google is anti-competitive. The complaint reads-

“Epic brings this suit to end Apple’s unfair and anti-competitive actions that Apple undertakes to unlawfully maintain its monopoly in two distinct, multibillion-dollar markets: (i) the iOS App Distribution Market, and (ii) the iOS In-App Payment Processing Market(each as defined below).”

It further says-

“Apple is able to unlawfully condition access to the App Store on the developer’s use of a second product—In-App Purchase—for in-app sales of in-app content. Through its Developer Agreement and unlawful policies, Apple expressly conditions the use of its App Store on the use of its In-App Purchase to the exclusion of alternative solutions in a per se unlawful tying arrangement.”