Epic Games and Apple spar over consoles and walled gardens on opening day of trial
CNN
Epic Games and Apple kicked off their high-profile trial on Monday, beginning a legal battle that is expected to run for at least two weeks and has the potential to change not only the iPhone maker's app ecosystem, but also the broader app economy worth hundreds of billions of dollars.
At the center of the lawsuit is Fortnite, the hugely popular video game made by Epic that was kicked out of Apple's App Store last summer for flouting its rules on digital payments by establishing its own system. Apple (AAPL) gets a 30% cut of many in-app purchases on iOS devices and does not allow alternative payment systems. Fortnite's removal from the App Store prompted Epic to sue Apple. On day one, Epic and its first witness — the company's CEO, Tim Sweeney — sought to establish that Apple's App Store and its refusal to allow other app stores on its platform constitute anti-competitive behavior. The company argued that Apple's strict control of its iOS ecosystem — referred to as a "walled garden" — constitutes a monopoly and are calling on the iPhone maker to allow alternative app stores, and potentially apps, on its devices outside of its own and what it approves.A provocative new work from the artist behind that duct-taped banana tackles gun violence in America
The Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan shines a light on gun violence and the divisions in US society in a new installation, “Sunday,” at Gagosian in New York City.
One Florida abortion clinic confronts a new six-week ban with a last-minute push and long-term plans
On Tuesday afternoon, Mikenzie Buchanan scooped up an armful of clipboards piled behind the front desk at A Woman’s Choice, an abortion clinic here; it was almost too many to hold. On each clipboard, behind a blue cover to protect personal information, were documents and charts for patients who had visited the clinic to receive a medication abortion that day.