A case of Epic proportions
Epic Games' 16-week court battle against Apple and Google is finally under way. If the Fortnite maker is successful, it could fast-track EU-like rules for tech companies in Australia.
Things get geeky pretty quickly in the legal world, and this week, with one of the biggest competition law trials of the year kicking off, has been no exception.
This is exactly why we decided to launch Prima Facie, our weekly newsletter on the cases, legal debates, firms and figures shaping the new Australian economy. Welcome — we hope you like it.
What better place to start than a crowded Melbourne courtroom, where, almost four years after Fortnite maker Epic Games launched its lawsuit against Apple, a blockbuster 16-week trial began on Monday.
The excitement was palpable in courtroom 6K. The court officer had to tell the multiple rows of external and in-house lawyers, barristers, as well as the public, to be quiet. Die hard competition law nerds have been waiting years for this showdown over allegations that Apple and Google engaged in restrictive practices in their app stores — and now it's kicked off, with the court hearing Epic's barrister compare Apple to real-estate agents or landlords on the first day of hearings.
