Epic Games v. Apple: The high-stakes battle that could change the iPhone and App Store forever

Video game publisher Epic Games goes to battle with Apple today over the iPhone maker's decision to remove Fortnite from its App Store. If Epic wins, Apple might be forced to change iOS software and business practices that some developers say have made the App Store a de facto monopoly.

The court fight, which is overseen by U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, is expected to play out over three weeks and feature testimony from Apple CEO Tim Cook, Epic head Tim Sweeney and other high-ranking executives at the two companies. This is Apple's first significant legal challenge since 1989, when Xerox sued the firm for violating copyright related to the Apple Lisa and Macintosh computers.  Its App Store, which works seamlessly with the iPhone and Apple's iOS hardware, is a$100 billion market. Depending on the outcome, the case could dent Apple's brand and give competing app stores access to the iPhone market.