Upon recalling a legal dispute that initially kicked off back in August 2020, the kerfuffle is still proceeding in the courts between Apple and Epic Games. In that, the iPhone giant in response to the multi-game publisher slashing its prices on Fortnite in-game currency ‘V-Bucks’ ultimately decided to pull the game from its storefront, The App Store. Fortnite also faced a similar fate on the Google Play Store as well that same time.

Epic Games made the move after deciding to fight back against the 30 percent cut from Apple for being on The App Store. Now, the two continue to battle it out through the United States legal system as both fight for a justified outcome on the initial dispute. However, Apple looks to be bringing an a third party through the legal fight.

In a new court filing, it is disclosed that Apple subpoenaed Valve back in November 2020 with the request for sales data for 30,000 games outright. The argument is that the information is crucial for Apple’s dispute with Epic Games. However, Valve says that contrary in the new legal document.

Apple’s Request 2 is very narrow. It simply requests documents sufficient to show Valve’s: (a) total yearly sales of apps and in-app products; (b) annual advertising revenues from Steam; (c) annual sales of external products attributable to Steam; (d) annual revenues from Steam; and (e) annual earnings (whether gross or net) from Steam. Apple has gone as far as requesting this information in any readily accessible format, but Valve refuses to produce it.

Needless to say, the legal request from Apple looks to be screaming fire in the theater when no blaze is present. Better phrased by the document reads as such: “Valve’s assertion that multiple databases are needed to extract the information Apple requests is a distraction. It continues, “Valve has admitted to Apple’s counsel that the information requested exists in the normal course of business, but Valve simply refuses to produce it in any of the formats Apple suggested, yet also refuses to provide any information whatsoever as to the form in which the information exists and is readily accessible.”

Elsewhere on Twitter, Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney also combats more of Apple’s “Orwell”-like actions with a complete thread of criticisms. “Dear anonymous Apple spokesperson, Apple’s rules make pawns of all consumers and companies in the app economy,” Sweeney writes. “Apple’s shown it will remove great apps for the sole purpose of enforcing its distribution and payments monopoly.”

While the case continues forward between the two firms, there is hope for Fortnite’s return to iOS. In that, BBC reported that the game could be handled through NVIDIA GeForce Now to stream the game through an browser-based app. You can read the full report by heading here.

What are your thoughts on Apple subpoenaing Valve to bring relevance to its case against Epic Games?

Source: CourtListener