Microsoft once again sides with Epic Games, which appealed its loss to Apple in 2021. Like 35 attorneys general, it filed testimony to support the video game publisher, even if it is not not directly involved in this case.
In a document on file, he points out that there would be a real monopoly problem with Apple.
“ Few companies, perhaps none since AT&T…at the height of its telephone monopoly, have controlled the pipe through which such a wide range of economic activity flows.writes the Redmond company.
A bad signal for the whole industry
This situation would also extend beyond the video game sector concerned by the lawsuit.
“Apple offers mobile payments, music, movies and TV, advertising, games, health tracking, web browsing, messaging, video chats, news, storage in the cloud, e-books, smart home devices, wearables, etc. »recalls Microsoft.
The company says that if the decision to dismiss the monopoly charge were upheld, Apple would be left with a free hand to leverage its control over iOS. It could also encourage other harmful behaviors. Google will be tempted to do the same. Microsoft also concludes that innovation would suffer.
Also see video:
A long history of rivalry
Microsoft as a defender of antitrust laws against Apple, this is not lacking in flavor. We know the fierce battle they waged for years. No one has forgotten the advertising war that pitted them against each other. Ridley Scott’s 1984 commercial for the launch of the Macintosh even posed Apple as the liberator of a market dominated by IBM, above all, and a young Microsoft.
Finally, remember that Microsoft also had to face accusations of abuse of a dominant position in the past, in particular for its Internet Explorer browser installed by default on Windows. Its current practices with Edge are also singled out by the competition.
Microsoft’s position, which can be considered relevant elsewhere, therefore has an air of opportunism, which tarnishes its credibility. It will be interesting to see if justice takes this into account despite everything.
Source: AppleInsider