Apple has reached the end of the line in its attempts to move a competition dispute with Fortnite game maker Epic Games to California, with the High Court denying the tech company’s special leave application to appeal a judgment that found there were “strong reasons” for keeping the matter in Australia.
Apple has rejected claims that it misused its market power by pulling Epic Games’ popular Fortnite game from its App Store and says the move did not affect the game developer’s business because most of its revenue comes from other platforms.
Specialist workplace relations consultancy Employsure has been ordered to pay a $1 million penalty over a series of misleading Google advertisements, a figure significantly lower than the $5 million sought by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.
A judge said he âgaggedâ at the Australian Competition and Consumer Commissionâs proposed $5 million pecuniary penalty in its case against specialist workplace relations company Employsure over six misleading Google ads.
Epic Game’s plan to lead econometric evidence in its dispute with Apple could be the first time such evidence has been led in a competition case in Australia, a judge has said, as he warned that the companies’ “unlimited resources and enthusiasm for victory” should not bog the case down.
Apple has told a judge a high-stakes competition lawsuit by Fornite game maker Epic Games should be temporarily stayed in light of a special leave application lodged with the High Court and an ‘imminent’ judgment from a US court.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has won a challenge to a ruling that tossed its case against specialist workplace relations company Employsure, with an appeals court finding the regulator was right that the company had misled small businesses into signing long term contracts via Google ads that appeared to be government affiliated.
The Full Federal Court took a “radical” and unorthodox approach with far-reaching consequences by keeping Apple’s competition dispute with Fortnite game maker Epic Games in Australia, the Silicon Valley giant has told the High Court.
ASIC is challenging the dismissal of its enforcement action against payday lenders Cigno and BHF Solutions in a decision that found the companies did not need a licence to issue loans to hundreds of thousands of consumers.
Apple plans to appeal the Full Federal Court’s decision that Epic Games’ misuse of market power lawsuit over it App Store terms should be heard in Australia because the case raises issues of “fundamental public interest”.