Epic Games released this parody of Apple's original 1984 commercial.
Much like the original Apple ad, the Fortnite short is about a dystopian society that is ruled by a monolithic totalitarian government that controls everything about its population, forcing them into total conformity.
“In 1984, the fledgling Apple computer company released the Macintosh — the first mass-market, consumer-friendly home computer,” the complaint reads. “The product launch was announced with a breathtaking advertisement evoking George Orwell’s 1984 that cast Apple as a beneficial, revolutionary force breaking IBM’s monopoly over the computing technology market.”
The complaint also quotes Apple founder and former CEO Steve Jobs’ introduction of the commercial which reads, “it appears IBM wants it all. Apple is perceived to be the only hope to offer IBM a run for its money ... Will Big Blue dominate the entire computer industry? The information age? Was George Orwell right about 1984?”
“Fast forward to 2020, and Apple has become what it once railed against: the behemoth seeking to control markets, block competition, and stifle innovation. Apple is bigger, more powerful, more entrenched and more pernicious than the monopolists of yesteryear.”
The complaint then moves into the heart of its claim: that Apple uses “anti-competitive restraints and monopolistic practices in markets for the distribution of software applications to users of mobile computing devices like smartphones tablets, and the processing of consumers’ payments for digital content used within iOS mobile apps.”
It’s worth noting that while this is Apple’s general policy, it already allows certain apps and publishers, such as Amazon, to avoid the in-app-purchase “tax” that other developers are subject to.
Epic’s complaint then goes on to describe Apple’s policies as “anti-competitive,” outlining the specific laws that Apple violates, both in California and in the context of the Sherman Antitrust Act. The complaint concludes with a request that the court issue an injunction prohibiting Apple’s ability to continue any of these policies with regard to the App Store.
I feel strongly that apple should be forced to open up the ios platform. So i'm glad Epic is willing to fight this in court.
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