Epic Games says Apple plans to revoke its developer account

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In the ongoing battle between Epic Games and Apple, the developer said that Apple has threatened to cut it out of the App Store entirely by revoking its developer account. The move will mean Epic can no longer make apps for Apple, which means it will lose access to iOS users. According to the developer, Apple has given Epic until August 28 before it removes its developer accounts, which also means they can't publish updates to current apps on the store. 

On top of that, Epic makes the Unreal Engine software that many iPhone and Android games use to add realistic graphics and physics to their titles. The company seeks an injunction to "preserve the status quo" and allow Epic to continue to sell apps, including Fortnite, on the Apple App Store. Epic claims Apple's move to revoke its accounts represents an "existential threat" to Unreal Engine, and that the company is "attacking Epic's entire business in unrelated areas."

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'Fortnite' developer Epic Games files antitrust lawsuits against Apple, Google

The catalyst for Epic Games' lawsuit against Apple and Google started when the company released an update to 'Fortnite' offering their own payment option outside of Apple's and Google's app stores, which is against their policies.

After Apple and Google removed video game Fortnite from their respective app stores citing violations of their in-app payment guidelines, the game's developer Epic Games filed a federal antitrust lawsuit in the US against both companies. Epic Games isn't asking for money from the two tech giants. Instead, it wants injunctions to end their practices related to their app stores, notably the cut Apple and Google get from in-app purchases that reach as high as 30%.

The whole ordeal started when Epic Games pushed a server-side update for Fortnite that lets users bypass Apple's and Google's payment systems and choose Epic's option for in-app purchases. In return, players get a 20% discount for using Epic's payment option, which is against Apple's and Google's store policies. In response to that, both took out the game, and then Epic filed their lawsuit, which seems to be the company's intention right from the start.

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Google countersues Sonos, citing patent infringement

Image courtesy of 9to5Google

Google fights back against Sonos and countersues the company for patent infringement. The tech giant claims Sonos is infringing five Google patents that involve mesh networking, echo cancellation, DRM, content notifications, and personalized search. Sonos initially filed a patent lawsuit against Google in January. This ongoing row has already resorted to a US International Trade Commission investigation.

The Verge says the lawsuit serves a couple of purposes: one is to countersue Sonos, and another is for the tech giant to show that it feels aggrieved after assisting Sonos with its product development.

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Ubisoft sues Apple, Google for offering 'Rainbow Six: Siege' copycat

Screenshot courtesy of Qookka Games/Ejoy

Ubisoft thinks one mobile game available on Apple App Store and Google Play Store is blatantly copying Rainbow Six: Siege. Since the companies aren't taking the game down, it decided to take legal action against them. Ubisoft claims Area F2, a game developed by Alibaba's Ejoy and Qookka Games, is a "near carbon copy" and borrowed "virtually every aspect" of Rainbow Six so that it can "piggyback" on the game's success.

The game developer said it alerted Apple and Google about this reported copyright violations, but both companies so far have declined to pull Area F2 from their app stores. Ubisoft didn't say why it was suing the app store operators instead of the game's developers. But as Engadget points out, this might come down to region and accessibility. Ejoy is based in China, so making a foreign copyright challenge might be more difficult than cutting its access to some revenue it might get from Apple's and Google's app stores.