Game developer and publisher Epic Games has filed a lawsuit in US District Court for the Northern District of California after Apple and Google removed Fortnite from both IOS and Android App stores recently. 

In the lawsuit, initially targeting Apple now, Epic Games claims that Apple and Google act as a monopoly by not allowing apps to take direct payments from its users after Fornite implemented its payment processing platform for its users. By implementing this system, Epic Games knowingly is in direct violation of Apple's and Google's App Store guidelines. 

In the complaint, Epic targets the following injustices:

"Apple imposes unreasonable and unlawful restraints to completely monopolize both markets and prevent software developers from reaching the over one billion users of its mobile devices (e.g., iPhone and iPad) unless they go through a single store controlled by Apple, the App Store, where Apple exacts an oppressive 30% tax on the sale of every app. Apple also requires software developers who wish to sell 2 Complaint for Injunctive Relief digital in-app content to those consumers to use a single payment processing option offered by Apple, In-App Purchase, which likewise carries a 30% tax."

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To add a little insult to injury to announce the lawsuit against the tech giant Epic gave Apple a little taste of their own medicine by releasing a parody of Apple's iconic 1984 Super Bowl Commercial. Those not familiar with this commercial Apple pledge to rage war to balance the computer market, giving users options in usability against the then dominating IBM, which at the time Apple called a "monopoly" for similar reasons surrounding this legal battle. In the paradoy Epic Games encourages people to "Join the fight to stop 2020 from becoming 1984." The #FreeFornite movement has rapidly spread across the world and taken on a few prominent companies supporting the ban of the "Apple Tax" that include Facebook and Spotify. 

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According to the suit, "Epic is not seeking monetary compensation from this Court for the injuries it has suffered. Nor is Epic seeking favorable treatment for itself, a single company. Instead, Epic is seeking injunctive relief to allow fair competition in these two key markets that directly affect hundreds of millions of consumers and tens of thousands, if not more, of third-party app developers."

Stay tuned as more details surrounding this lawsuit as it moves forward. To view the full complaint here.

For more tech news and trends, take a closer look at Amazon's rebranding of Twitch Prime. 

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Image via Fornite

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