Annabelle Stephenson
In a dramatic twist of events, Apple has taken decisive action against Epic Games by terminating their developer account, marking a significant escalation in the ongoing feud between the two industry giants. This latest move by Apple comes on the heels of a series of conflicts and legal disputes that have been brewing between the companies.
Epic Games, renowned for the creation of the immensely popular Fortnite game, revealed that Apple abruptly ended their developer account, overturning a previous decision that had allowed Epic to have their account reinstated. The root cause of the conflict can be traced back to Epic’s attempts to reintroduce Fortnite on iOS devices in the EU through the implementation of the Digital Markets Act (DMA).
Apple’s legal representatives sent a letter to Epic informing them of the termination of their account, a decision that Epic perceives as a breach of the DMA and indicative of Apple’s reluctance to foster genuine competition within the iOS ecosystem.
Epic, in a statement on their official blog, disclosed that Apple cited various reasons for the account termination, one of which was Epic’s vocal opposition to the proposed DMA regulations, as evidenced by a post from Epic Games’ CEO, Tim Sweeney. The clash between Apple and Epic has snowballed into a legal dispute, centered around concerns of anti-competitive behavior and advocacy for regulatory reforms in multiple markets to counterbalance Apple’s dominance in the app industry. It appears that Apple is intent on severing ties with Epic in light of these developments. Epic has claimed that Apple perceives the company as a „disruptive force within their ecosystem.”
Despite Epic’s public commitment to compliance with all developer agreement terms and their willingness to participate in DMA consultations proffered by Apple (an offer that was initially rejected), the company asserts that they received the account termination notice from Apple’s legal team only after agreeing to the terms. Apple’s actions appear retaliatory, as underscored in a letter penned by Apple executive, Phil Schiller, which points out Epic’s past infractions of Apple’s regulations and accuses the company of willfully flouting guidelines.
Although Epic maintains its readiness to cooperate and respect Apple’s stipulations, the strained rapport between the two entities has led to the current impasse. Epic Games has had a longstanding partnership with Apple dating back to 2010, involving collaborations on Epic games, the Unreal Engine, and assorted creative tools. Apple has vocally supported the Unreal Engine developed by Epic.
In response to inquiries regarding the matter, Apple has remained silent thus far.
Dažnai užduodami klausimai:
1. Kodėl Apple nutraukė Epic Games kūrėjo paskyrą?
– Apple nutraukė Epic Games kūrėjo paskyrą atsiliepdama į bendrovės kritiškus pareiškimus ir veiksmus, kurie pažeidė Apple programų parduotuvės taisykles.
2. Kokius motyvus nurodė Apple nutraukdama Epic Games’ paskyrą?
– Apple nurodė, kad Epic kritikavo siūlomus Digitalinių rinkų įstatymo (DMA) taisykles ir pažeidė Apple taisyklių siekdami savo tikslų ir finansinių interesų.
3. Kaip Epic Games reaguoja į Apple kaltinimus?
– Epic tvirtina, kad laikėsi visų kūrėjo sutartinių sąlygų ir netgi paprašė DMA konsultacijų. Tačiau Apple nutraukė Epic Games Sweden AB paskyrą, nepaisant jų laikymosi.
4. Kokį įtaką tai daro Fortnite ateičiai iOS įrenginiuose?
– Kūrėjo paskyros nutraukimas gali reikšti, kad Fortnite nebūtų prieinamas iOS įrenginiuose, nebent Epic Games ir Apple pasiektų susitarimą.
Terminai:
1. DMA – Digitalinių Rinkų Įstatymas – Naujas įstatymas, skirtas reguliuoti ir stebėti didelės interneto platformos, pvz., Apple.
2. App Store – Apple internetinė parduotuvė, kurioje galima įsigyti iOS įrenginiams skirtas programėles.
3. Unreal Engine – Žaidimų variklis, sukurtas Epic Games.
Susiję nuorodos:
– [Epic Games](https://www.epicgames.com)
– [Apple Kūrėjai](https://developer.apple.com)
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