US judge hears final arguments in row between Apple, Epic Games

The case brought before a judge in California threatens to upend how the $142bn world of mobile applications is managed.

Apple Inc.’s ally-turned-foe Epic Games Inc. made its final pitch to a federal judge to curb the market power of the App Store while the iPhone maker pleaded to leave its marketplace for 2 million apps undisturbed. U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers heard closing arguments Monday from attorneys for the creator of the blockbuster game Fortnite and the iPhone maker in a case that threatens to upend how the $142 billion world of mobile applications is managed. Reprising the themes of a three-week trial in Oakland, California, the lawyers debated a set of topics, including the scope of the market in which Epic claims Apple wields power and whether Apple’s tight controls on its store hurts developers and users. Gonzalez Rogers, who is deciding the case without a jury, said she hopes to deliver a ruling as soon as possible but she didn’t specify a date.