When Katherine Forrest began her opening statement for Epic Games in its battle against Apple in a California court on Monday, she blasted the iPhone …
When Katherine Forrest began her opening statement for Epic Games in its battle against Apple in a California court on Monday, she blasted the iPhone maker as a monopolist, holding app makers hostage to its onerous licensing terms and commission structure, taking up to 30% off subscriptions and other sales without explicitly telling users. But when she asked a seemingly benign question of Epic CEO Tim Sweeney on Tuesday, she revealed potential hypocrisy on her side too. In the summer of 2020, Sweeney had sent emails to Apple executives asking them to allow his company to offer its own app store for iPhones, effectively an alternative to the system Apple’s used since 2008. Apple has only allowed app developers to offer programs to iPhone and iPad users by submitting apps to its store where they go under review before being offered for sale or for free.
