With the US Supreme Court refusing to hear the ongoing Epic Games v. Apple case over App Store rules, the lawsuit effectively ends after it began in August 2020. However, Apple now wants Epic covers $73.4 million (about $99.37 million Canadian). ) in legal fees.

Apple filed a request with the court to allow it to bill Epic for litigation expenses. The X/Twitter account ‘gamesfray’ detailed how Apple arrived at the $73.4 million figure, writing that Apple says it spent $82,971,401 defending the lawsuit. The company then adjusts that to $81,560,362 and deducts 10 percent since Epic won on one of the ten charges, leaving a final figure of $73,404,326.

Apple bases this compensation claim on Epic’s breach of the developer agreement (DPLA) when Fortnite suddenly offered an in-app payment alternative.

Early in the litigation, Epic agreed that if it loses its antitrust claims (as it did), it owes damages.

🧵2/4

– gamesfray (@games_fray) January 17, 2024

Additionally, Apple based the claim on Epic’s original violation of the company’s developer agreement. Before the lawsuit, Epic violated the agreement by releasing an update to its popular fortnite game that included an alternative payment system within the application. Epic previously agreed that it would owe damages if it lost its antitrust claims against Apple and, well, now it has.

The court set a date of March 5, 2024 to hear Apple’s claim for fees owed along with “additional amounts Apple is incurring during this ongoing litigation, pursuant to the indemnification provision of the Program License Agreement for developers”.

Fountain: gamesfray (X/Twitter) Via: MacRumors