Apple on Friday appealed a federal judge's verdict in its legal battle with Fortnite-maker Epic Games over control of the App Store.

Apple is asking the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco to overturn the 185-page ruling by US District Court Judge Yvonne Gonzalez-Rogers.

The judge ordered Apple to loosen control of its App Store payment options, but said Epic failed to prove any antitrust violations.

Epic last month filed its own appeal.

"We will fight on", Epic chief executive Tim Sweeney tweeted when the company confirmed its plan to contest the verdict.

Apple said in the days after the ruling by Gonzalez-Rogers that it was "very happy" with the decision but had left open the door to appeal.

The companies had opted for a so-called bench trial in which a judge rather that a jury hears the evidence and decides on a verdict.

Epic launched the case aiming to break Apple's grip on the App Store, accusing the iPhone maker of acting like a monopoly in its shop for digital goods or services.

"For me, it is a win for Apple in that the judge clearly said they are not engaging in monopolistic behavior," Creative Strategies analyst Carolina Milanesi said after the verdict.

"I don't think it is a problem for Apple from a revenue perspective."

The judge barred Apple from prohibiting developers from including in their apps "external links or other calls to action that direct customers to purchasing mechanisms."

Apple can still mandate that its payment systems is used for in-app transactions.

Apple on Friday appealed a federal judge's verdict in its legal battle with Fortnite-maker Epic Games over control of the App Store. Apple is asking the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco to overturn the 185-page ruling by US District Court Judge Yvonne Gonzalez-Rogers.

Apple on Friday appealed a federal judge's verdict in its legal battle with Fortnite-maker Epic Games over control of the App Store. Apple is asking the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco to overturn the 185-page ruling by US District Court Judge Yvonne Gonzalez-Rogers. The judge ordered Apple to loosen control of its App Store payment options, but said Epic failed to prove any antitrust violations. Epic last month filed its own appeal. "We will fight on", Epic chief executive Tim Sweeney tweeted when the company confirmed its plan to contest the verdict. Apple said in the days after the ruling by Gonzalez-Rogers that it was "very happy" with the decision but had left open the door to appeal. The companies had opted for a so-called bench trial in which a judge rather that a jury hears the evidence and decides on a verdict. Epic launched the case aiming to break Apple's grip on the App Store, accusing the iPhone maker of acting like a monopoly in its shop for digital goods or services. "For me, it is a win for Apple in that the judge clearly said they are not engaging in monopolistic behavior," Creative Strategies analyst Carolina Milanesi said after the verdict. "I don't think it is a problem for Apple from a revenue perspective." The judge barred Apple from prohibiting developers from including in their apps "external links or other calls to action that direct customers to purchasing mechanisms." Apple can still mandate that its payment systems is used for in-app transactions.

Apple appeals verdict in App Store battle with Epic Games

Apple Inc Chief Executive&nbsp;Tim&nbsp;Cook&nbsp;on Friday will take the witness stand to defend the App Store, a booming part of the iPhone maker's business that "Fortnite" maker Epic Games says is a monopoly that Apple abuses.

Cook&nbsp;is expected to spend more than two hours making what are likely to be his most extensive public remarks on the App Store business, which anchors Apple's $53.8 billion services business.

Epic has waged a public relations and legal campaign, arguing that Apple acts anticompetitively by only allowing apps it approves on the world's 1 billion iPhones and by forcing developers to use Apple's in-app payment system, which charges commissions of up to 30 per cent&nbsp;on sales.

The antitrust trial at a federal courthouse in Oakland, California comes as Apple faces a chorus of criticism from app makers including music service Spotify Technology and US&nbsp;politicians who say the most valuable public company in the United States tries to squash small competition.

The maker of "Fortnite," which pits players against in each other in an animated "Battle Royale" fight to the last survivor, is led by CEO&nbsp;Tim&nbsp;Sweeney, who has reveled in the public opportunity to take on Apple.

Sweeney kicked off the trial as Epic's first witness, using his&nbsp;time on the stand to argue that "Fortnite" has become a place for players to gather in a virtual world he calls the "metaverse" and that Apple is unfairly demanding an outsized cut of profits for providing simple payment processing technology.

Cook&nbsp;fielded a handful of questions about the company's App Store when he testified before US&nbsp;lawmakers last year, but he otherwise stayed mostly silent as lawmakers grilled the chiefs of Alphabet Inc's Google and Facebook Inc.

Apple attorneys said they plan to ask him to testify about Apple's corporate values, how the App Store came about and Apple's competitive landscape. Throughout the trial, Apple has sought to persuade Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers that whatever rules it imposes on developers are aimed at keeping its customers' information private and safe from malware.

But Epic's legal team has put other Apple executives under pressure during the three-week trial. During a cross-examination&nbsp;Thursday, Apple's software chief Craig Federighi lashed out at one of Epic's attorneys who did not allow Federighi to explain the technical details of why Apple does not use automated tools to scan for some offensive content.

Judge Gonzalez Rogers intervened to tell Federighi he would have to wait to explain himself later, when Apple's lawyers resumed questions.

Competition authorities in multiple countries have opened probes into the business, including a case in the European Union around Apple's treatment of Spotify.

In United States, lawmakers such as Senator Amy Klobuchar who are contemplating new antitrust laws are likely to comb through the records generated in the Epic case.

"This case has always been part of a bigger narrative rather than something that's going to decide the issue on its own," said John Bergmayer, legal director at consumer advocacy group Public Knowledge.

Apple Inc Chief Executive Tim Cook on Friday will take the witness stand to defend the App Store, a booming part of the iPhone maker's business that "Fortnite" maker Epic Games says is a monopoly that Apple abuses.

Apple Inc Chief Executive Tim Cook on Friday will take the witness stand to defend the App Store, a booming part of the iPhone maker's business that "Fortnite" maker Epic Games says is a monopoly that Apple abuses. Cook is expected to spend more than two hours making what are likely to be his most extensive public remarks on the App Store business, which anchors Apple's $53.8 billion services business. Epic has waged a public relations and legal campaign, arguing that Apple acts anticompetitively by only allowing apps it approves on the world's 1 billion iPhones and by forcing developers to use Apple's in-app payment system, which charges commissions of up to 30 per cent on sales. The antitrust trial at a federal courthouse in Oakland, California comes as Apple faces a chorus of criticism from app makers including music service Spotify Technology and US politicians who say the most valuable public company in the United States tries to squash small competition. The maker of "Fortnite," which pits players against in each other in an animated "Battle Royale" fight to the last survivor, is led by CEO Tim Sweeney, who has reveled in the public opportunity to take on Apple. Sweeney kicked off the trial as Epic's first witness, using his time on the stand to argue that "Fortnite" has become a place for players to gather in a virtual world he calls the "metaverse" and that Apple is unfairly demanding an outsized cut of profits for providing simple payment processing technology. Cook fielded a handful of questions about the company's App Store when he testified before US lawmakers last year, but he otherwise stayed mostly silent as lawmakers grilled the chiefs of Alphabet Inc's Google and Facebook Inc. Apple attorneys said they plan to ask him to testify about Apple's corporate values, how the App Store came about and Apple's competitive landscape. Throughout the trial, Apple has sought to persuade Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers that whatever rules it imposes on developers are aimed at keeping its customers' information private and safe from malware. But Epic's legal team has put other Apple executives under pressure during the three-week trial. During a cross-examination Thursday, Apple's software chief Craig Federighi lashed out at one of Epic's attorneys who did not allow Federighi to explain the technical details of why Apple does not use automated tools to scan for some offensive content. Judge Gonzalez Rogers intervened to tell Federighi he would have to wait to explain himself later, when Apple's lawyers resumed questions. Competition authorities in multiple countries have opened probes into the business, including a case in the European Union around Apple's treatment of Spotify. In United States, lawmakers such as Senator Amy Klobuchar who are contemplating new antitrust laws are likely to comb through the records generated in the Epic case. "This case has always been part of a bigger narrative rather than something that's going to decide the issue on its own," said John Bergmayer, legal director at consumer advocacy group Public Knowledge.

Tim Cook to be Apple's star witness at Fortnite trial

Apple Inc&nbsp;on Friday alleged that Epic Games'&nbsp;chief executive had asked it for a "side letter" to create its own game store within the iPhone maker's App Store, which Apple said would have upended the store`s commission-based business model.

The disclosure came in a court filing on Friday in which Apple asked a federal judge in California to deny a request by "Fortnite" maker Epic Games to be kept in the iPhone maker's App Store as a dispute between the two over Apple's in-app payment rules plays out.

Epic did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/one-bad-apple-freefortnite-tournament-takes-a-dig-at-apple-322317" hreflang="en">'One bad apple': #FreeFortnite tournament takes a dig at Apple</a>

Apple removed the popular game earlier this month after Epic rolled out its own method of making purchases within the game, which Apple said violated its App Store rules. Those rules require games and other apps to use Apple's in-app payment system, which charges commissions of between 15 per cent&nbsp;and 30 per cent.

Epic sued Apple over the removal, claiming the App Store rules violate antitrust laws. Epic also launched a public relations campaign, with a #FreeFortnite social media push and a parody of Apple`s famous "1984" ad.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/tesla-seeks-approval-for-sensor-that-could-detect-child-left-in-hot-cars-322129" hreflang="en">Tesla seeks approval for sensor that could detect child left in hot cars</a>

In the filing before US&nbsp;District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers in Oakland, Apple aimed to frame the dispute as part of a broader business disagreement, alleging that Epic CEO Tim Sweeney asked for an exception to its rules to create an "Epic Games Store" inside the App Store. After it rejected the request, Sweeney criticized how it runs the store, Apple said.

Apple said that Sweeney sent Phil Schiller, Apple's App Store chief, an email at 2 a.m. saying Epic would no longer comply with the payment rules, and rolled out its own payment system hours later.

Epic has asked the court to issue an order blocking Apple's removal of "Fortnite" from the store, saying that the move - along with Apple`s threat to terminate the company`s developer account - would cause irreparable harm to Epic and should be put on hold while the case plays out.&nbsp;

Epic said the termination of its developer account could also hamper its ability to offer a product called Unreal Engine, a software tool for computer graphics that hundreds of other games and other apps use to power their offerings.

In Friday's filing, Apple called the removal of "Fortnite" from the App Store a "self-inflicted wound" and argued that Rogers should not grant Epic's request.

"Epic knew full well that, in circumventing Apple’s processes and breaching its contracts, it was putting its entire relationship with Apple,&nbsp;including its Unreal Engine and other projects,&nbsp;at serious risk," Apple wrote in its filing.

"Epic made the calculated decision to breach anyway, and then run to this Court to argue that its customers were being damaged."

Apple Inc on Friday alleged that Epic Games' chief executive had asked it for a "side letter" to create its own game store within the iPhone maker's App Store, which Apple said would have upended the store`s commission-based business model.

Apple Inc on Friday alleged that Epic Games' chief executive had asked it for a "side letter" to create its own game store within the iPhone maker's App Store, which Apple said would have upended the store`s commission-based business model. The disclosure came in a court filing on Friday in which Apple asked a federal judge in California to deny a request by "Fortnite" maker Epic Games to be kept in the iPhone maker's App Store as a dispute between the two over Apple's in-app payment rules plays out. Epic did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Also read: 'One bad apple': #FreeFortnite tournament takes a dig at Apple Apple removed the popular game earlier this month after Epic rolled out its own method of making purchases within the game, which Apple said violated its App Store rules. Those rules require games and other apps to use Apple's in-app payment system, which charges commissions of between 15 per cent and 30 per cent. Epic sued Apple over the removal, claiming the App Store rules violate antitrust laws. Epic also launched a public relations campaign, with a #FreeFortnite social media push and a parody of Apple`s famous "1984" ad. Also read: Tesla seeks approval for sensor that could detect child left in hot cars In the filing before US District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers in Oakland, Apple aimed to frame the dispute as part of a broader business disagreement, alleging that Epic CEO Tim Sweeney asked for an exception to its rules to create an "Epic Games Store" inside the App Store. After it rejected the request, Sweeney criticized how it runs the store, Apple said. Apple said that Sweeney sent Phil Schiller, Apple's App Store chief, an email at 2 a.m. saying Epic would no longer comply with the payment rules, and rolled out its own payment system hours later. Epic has asked the court to issue an order blocking Apple's removal of "Fortnite" from the store, saying that the move - along with Apple`s threat to terminate the company`s developer account - would cause irreparable harm to Epic and should be put on hold while the case plays out. Epic said the termination of its developer account could also hamper its ability to offer a product called Unreal Engine, a software tool for computer graphics that hundreds of other games and other apps use to power their offerings. In Friday's filing, Apple called the removal of "Fortnite" from the App Store a "self-inflicted wound" and argued that Rogers should not grant Epic's request. "Epic knew full well that, in circumventing Apple’s processes and breaching its contracts, it was putting its entire relationship with Apple, including its Unreal Engine and other projects, at serious risk," Apple wrote in its filing. "Epic made the calculated decision to breach anyway, and then run to this Court to argue that its customers were being damaged."

Apple says 'Fortnite' maker wanted 'side letter' to create own game store

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Apple appeals verdict in App Store battle with Epic Games

Tim Cook to be Apple's star witness at Fortnite trial

Apple says 'Fortnite' maker wanted 'side letter' to create own game store