Controversy over App Store now in China too: Memories of Apple vs Epic Games

Epic Games and Apple have been arguing for years over how developers are treated in the App Store. The gaming giant no longer wants to pay commissions, and Apple has kicked the provider out of the Software Store. Now a similar case is coming to light in China, albeit on a smaller scale. This could still be very important, as the People’s Republic is considered Apple’s most important foreign market.

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this incident happened years ago

One American media report on Tuesday According to this, this provider is about Beijing BodyReader Technology Limited, whose app was removed by Apple from the App Store in 2020 itself. The reason given by Apple’s app review team was that the app, which aims to help children correct their body posture, had displayed “dishonest behavior”.

It said the lawsuit has now been accepted by the Intellectual Property Court in Beijing. In total, the Beijing bodyreader would like to receive a compensation payment of 390,000 euros, and Apple should not be allowed to maintain its allegations. According to the report, the China case could lead to greater scrutiny of Apple’s role in the mobile ecosystem – something that has long been happening in the US and especially the EU.

Controversy over App Store now in China too: Memories of Apple vs Epic Games

Similar apps allowed

Preliminary discussions between lawyers and the court took place last week and may end this week. This would be the first case of its kind in China in which a Chinese developer directly attacks App Store rules. Apple had previously managed to fend off monopoly allegations by Chinese end customers who sued directly.

In addition to nearly 390,000 euros, the Beijing bodyreader would also like an official apology. The court is also expected to rule that Apple has engaged in “unfair monopolistic behavior.” It is said that while the BodyReader app was online for a year, it was blocked due to “suspicion of activity that could interfere with Apple’s software and services and lead to ‘dishonest and deceptive conduct'”. ” Attempts to appeal the decision via email were unsuccessful. Interestingly, Beijing BodyReader then introduced a similar app under a new name – it has since been online. This shows that Apple’s App Store policy is “inconsistent”.

(B.Sc.)