Re:Apple to kill Epic’s accounts on Friday the 28th
by dragonwriter on Monday August 17, 2020 @04:03PM
(#24191353)
> It's more like, why did Epic decide to file a spurious legal action when their situation with Apple is exactly the same as their situation with Microsoft (for XBox) and with Sony (for PlayStation) and with Google (for Android).
It's not spurious and their situation on Android, at least, is not exactly the same, because they can (and have previously) distribute to Android via their own website or third-party stores (and have announced intent to bring their own store to Android.)
Of course, they are suing Google on similar grounds.
As why only Apple, it's not only Apple, and this kind of litigation is expensive and it doesn't really scale in cost with the potential reward, so if you are going to devote resources to one first swing at it, it make sense to do it where the immediate rewards of winning are the greatest, which is iOS, first and foremost, and I expect for Epic right now, mobile more generally.
> The only difference is that Sony just invested $250M in Epic. I'm sure that minor fact has no relevance here, though.
Well, yeah, that's a pretty important difference, and quite possibly legally relevant, too. Aside from the political reasons not to sue a major investor, investment agreements might well have terms that change why relevant legal rights and duties of the parties.
It's not spurious and their situation on Android, at least, is not exactly the same, because they can (and have previously) distribute to Android via their own website or third-party stores (and have announced intent to bring their own store to Android.)
Of course, they are suing Google on similar grounds.
As why only Apple, it's not only Apple, and this kind of litigation is expensive and it doesn't really scale in cost with the potential reward, so if you are going to devote resources to one first swing at it, it make sense to do it where the immediate rewards of winning are the greatest, which is iOS, first and foremost, and I expect for Epic right now, mobile more generally.
> The only difference is that Sony just invested $250M in Epic. I'm sure that minor fact has no relevance here, though.
Well, yeah, that's a pretty important difference, and quite possibly legally relevant, too. Aside from the political reasons not to sue a major investor, investment agreements might well have terms that change why relevant legal rights and duties of the parties.