ACCC granted leave to intervene in Epic v Apple proceedings
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The news: The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) has been granted leave by the Federal Court to intervene in the Epic Games v Apple proceedings, in relation to the relief to be ordered by the court.
The context: The relief hearing, which will shortly resume, relates to the Federal Court’s finding last year that Apple misused its market power, in breach of Australia’s competition laws, by restricting the use of alternative app distribution and in-app payment methods on Apple devices.
The ACCC sought the Federal Court’s leave to intervene in the proceedings in order to make written submissions limited to specific relief issues of public interest.
The regulator said it has been closely monitoring private proceedings since they commenced in November 2020 and has had some prior involvement. The relief hearing resumes on 28 April.
What they said: “The ACCC hopes to assist the Court by putting submissions that recognise the public interest in the promotion of competitive digital services markets and the broad public interest nature of the remedial orders that the Court may make,” ACCC commissioner Luke Woodward said.
“This is a significant competition law matter, and the orders made in these proceedings could have wide-ranging implications for the distribution of mobile apps and in-app payments in Australia.”
The source: ACCC media release
