Apple Must Produce Over 1 Million Documents by September 30
In a recent development in the ongoing legal dispute between Apple and Fortnite-maker Epic Games, Judge Thomas S. Hixson has denied Apple’s request to extend the deadline for producing documents related to recent App Store changes. The ruling means that Apple must still meet the original deadline of Monday, September 30.
Background on the Dispute
The dispute between Apple and Epic Games dates back to when Epic Games filed a lawsuit against Apple over its App Store rules. In particular, Epic Games was challenging Apple’s requirement that developers use its in-app payment platform, which takes a commission on payments made through the platform. While Apple was largely successful in U.S. district court, the court did order the company to loosen its App Store rules, giving developers more freedom to collect payments and subscription fees without using Apple’s in-app payment platform.
New App Store Rules Implemented in January
Following the court’s ruling, Apple rolled out changes to its App Store rules in January, allowing developers to use their own payment systems. However, Epic Games has since challenged Apple over what it calls "bad-faith" compliance, arguing that the company is still collecting a commission on payments made through its platform.
Judge Directs Apple to Produce Documents
In August, a judge directed Apple to produce all documents related to how it decided on the new App Store rules. However, Apple has since claimed that Epic’s search terms surfaced more than twice as many documents as expected, requiring an additional two weeks to review what turned out to be "north of 1.3 million documents."
Judge Rejects Apple’s Request for Extension
Judge Hixson was not persuaded by Apple’s argument and rejected its request for an extension. In his ruling, he wrote that "the way Apple announced out of the blue four days before the substantial completion deadline that it would not make that deadline because of a document count that it had surely been aware of for weeks hardly creates the impression that Apple is behaving responsibly."
Hixson also suggested that Apple had plenty of time to collect and review the documents, noting that "with its nearly infinite resources," it "could probably review that many documents in a weekend."
Implications for Apple
The rejection of Apple’s request for an extension means that the company must still produce over 1 million documents by Monday, September 30. This deadline will undoubtedly be a challenge for Apple, but it is not clear what consequences will follow if the company fails to meet its obligations.
What Does this Mean for Developers and Users?
The ongoing dispute between Apple and Epic Games has significant implications for developers and users of the App Store. The court’s ruling requiring Apple to loosen its App Store rules was seen as a victory for developers, who will now have more freedom to collect payments and subscription fees without using Apple’s in-app payment platform.
However, the challenge by Epic Games over Apple’s "bad-faith" compliance highlights ongoing concerns about the company’s treatment of developers. The dispute also raises questions about the future of the App Store and the role that technology companies like Apple will play in shaping the digital landscape.
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