Judge in Apple v. Epic Games Case Wants In-Person Trial Starting on May 3

Lawyers for Epic Games and Apple today participated in a management conference with Judge Yvonne Gonzalez to hammer out the details of an upcoming bench trial, which is now confirmed to take place on May 3.

fortnite apple logo 2
Judge Gonzalez is planning to hold an in-person trial that will require all witnesses to travel to Northern California to answer questions before the court and the judge. She believes that the case is significant enough that the court should hear it in person, with witnesses in the case less likely to lie when sworn in in a physical courtroom.

Health considerations will be taken into account for witnesses that aren't able to travel to California, but the court will look into people who say they can't visit the court in person.

The judge said that the people involved and the companies involved have the available resources to quarantine for two weeks after the trial. The court plans to put measures in place to keep participants safe, including a limited number of people in the courtroom. Witnesses will be positioned far from the attorneys in the case, with distance between parties, and enough space will be given that witnesses can speak clearly without masks.

Based on the COVID numbers in May, the in-person trial could be set aside, but the case will go forward in May no matter what, even if it is held entirely over Zoom. The judge is pushing for a two to three week trial, while ‌Epic Games‌ wants it to last four to five weeks, with the exact length to be determined later when all of the case details are ironed out.

The Epic vs. Apple trial will delve into Epic's accusation that Apple is a "behemoth seeking to control markets, block competition, and stifle innovation" by imposing "anti-competitive restraints" against App Store developers and employing "monopolistic practices in markets."

‌Epic Games‌ will argue that the 30 percent cut that Apple takes from apps is "oppressive" as is the rule that requires developers to use in-app purchases. Apple lowered the 30 percent fee to 15 percent for developers earning under $1 million, but that does not apply to ‌Epic Games‌.

Apple will attempt to prove that its ‌App Store‌ prices are fair and in line with other competitors in the market, and that its ‌App Store‌ policies offer important protections for consumers.

Popular Stories

iphone 16 pro ghost hand

5 Reasons to Skip This Year's iPhone 17 Pro

Thursday July 10, 2025 4:54 am PDT by
Apple will launch its new iPhone 17 series in two months, and the iPhone 17 Pro models are expected to get a new design for the rear casing and the camera area. But more significant changes to the lineup are not expected until next year, when the iPhone 18 models arrive. If you're thinking of trading in your iPhone for this year's latest, consider the following features rumored to be coming...
apple wallet drivers license feature iPhone 15 pro

Apple Says iPhone Driver's Licenses Will Expand to These 8 U.S. States

Tuesday July 8, 2025 11:26 am PDT by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, providing a convenient and contactless way to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. Unfortunately, this feature continues to roll out very slowly since it was announced in 2021, with only nine U.S. states, Puerto Rico,...
macbook pro blue green

M5 MacBook Pro No Longer Coming in 2025

Thursday July 10, 2025 12:38 pm PDT by
Apple does not plan to refresh any Macs with updated M5 chips in 2025, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Updated MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models are now planned for the first half of 2026. Gurman previously said that Apple would debut the M5 MacBook Pro models in late 2025, but his newest report suggests that Apple is "considering" pushing them back to 2026. Apple is now said to be...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

Leaker Reveals Amount of RAM in iPhone 17 Through iPhone 17 Pro Max

Wednesday July 9, 2025 8:08 am PDT by
Three out of four iPhone 17 models will feature more RAM than the equivalent iPhone 16 models, according to a new leak that aligns with previous rumors. The all-new iPhone 17 Air, the iPhone 17 Pro, and the iPhone 17 Pro Max will each be equipped with 12GB of RAM, according to Fixed Focus Digital, an account with more than two million followers on Chinese social media platform Weibo. The...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro to Reverse iPhone X Design Decision

Monday July 7, 2025 9:46 am PDT by
Since the iPhone X in 2017, all of Apple's highest-end iPhone models have featured either stainless steel or titanium frames, but it has now been rumored that this design decision will be coming to an end with the iPhone 17 Pro models later this year. In a post on Chinese social media platform Weibo today, the account Instant Digital said that the iPhone 17 Pro models will have an aluminum...
Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature 1

Foldable iPhone Display Production Begins Ahead of Launch Next Year

Wednesday July 9, 2025 10:59 pm PDT by
Production of foldable OLED displays for Apple's first foldable iPhone have begun ahead of its expected launch next year, Korea's ETNews reports. The first foldable iPhone's displays are being produced by Samsung Display, who are establishing a production line dedicated to the upcoming Apple device its A3 factory in Asan, Chungcheongnam-do. The production line will make displays exclusively...
apple tv 4k new orange

New Apple TV Expected Later This Year With These New Features

Saturday July 12, 2025 3:09 pm PDT by
A new Apple TV is expected to be released later this year, and a handful of new features and changes have been rumored for the device. Below, we recap what to expect from the next Apple TV, according to rumors. Rumors Faster Wi-Fi Support The next Apple TV will be equipped with Apple's own combined Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. He said the chip supports ...
iphone 16 pro pro max

iPhone 17 Pro Models With BOE Displays Will Be Sold in China Only

Thursday July 10, 2025 11:59 pm PDT by
iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max models with displays made by BOE will be sold exclusively in China, according to a new report. Last week, it emerged that Chinese display manufacturer BOE was aggressively ramping up its OLED production capacity for future iPhone models as part of a plan to recapture a major role in Apple's supply chain. Now, tech news aggregator Jukan Choi reports...

Top Rated Comments

filmantopia Avatar
57 months ago
So no cat lawyers then :(
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
farewelwilliams Avatar
57 months ago
what a stupid trial.

just epic being greedy. app store has always been fair.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cmaier Avatar
57 months ago

We all win if Epic beat Apple on this one.
No we don’t. I don’t want more attack vectors on my devices.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cgaw23 Avatar
57 months ago
I could be wrong but I thought I had read somewhere that Microsoft/Sony/Nintendo also ask for 30 percent for similar transactions. If so why is this even an issue.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Maconplasma Avatar
57 months ago

All I want from this is a switch in iOS that allows me to install apps from sources other than the app store at my own risk. This shouldn't be too much of a problem. The ‘geniuses’ in the Apple Stores are already well-versed in blaming OS malfunctions and battery drain on third party apps. Surely they can extend their diagnoses to apps that come from outside sources...
The problem is that IS too much of a problem. If Apple allows this then there will be a crapstorm of people complaining that their iPhone isn't working properly and try and blame Apple when it's really the 3rd party unsupported application that is causing the issue. And without a doubt (especially from this forum ?) not a single customer will accept any blame or responsibility and expect Apple to give them a new phone, and if Apple does not these same people will come shouting on social media that Apple screwed them over......when it was really the customer's fault in the first place.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cmaier Avatar
57 months ago

Not sure why Apple wanted to delay this, but I say the sooner this dramedy is over with and they can move on the better.
They needed more time to get and review evidence. This is a very fast timeline for a federal case.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)