Apple's 'Monopoly Crossfire'... Tim Cook Testifies in Court in Person

First Trial Witness Appearance... Core Issue: Defense Against 'Abuse of Market Dominant Position'

Photo by AP

[Asia Economy Reporter Yujin Cho] As the antitrust lawsuit between Apple and Epic Games over the App Store enters its main phase, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on the 17th (local time) that Apple CEO Tim Cook is scheduled to testify in person.

Cook's expected testimony time is about 100 minutes, and the journal stated that this testimony will likely be the most detailed public statement on the issues Apple will face in the coming years.

The core issue of this lawsuit is whether there has been an abuse of market dominance. U.S. game developer Epic Games filed a lawsuit against Apple and Google, claiming that the 30% commission Apple requires from app developers constitutes unfair conduct resulting from abuse of market dominance.

Apple and Google, acting merely as intermediaries, are accused of demanding excessive revenue shares by leveraging their dominant market positions, and this vulnerable distribution structure is said to be worsening the business conditions for developers.

Epic Games, the developer of the popular shooting game "Fortnite," implemented its own payment system to avoid commission fees, but its developer account was terminated from the Apple App Store for violating policies.

WSJ reported that Cook and Apple's legal team are focusing on trial preparations, including mock trials with selected former prosecutors to practice testimony.

Apple stated that Cook plans to emphasize the company's core values and the economic benefits the App Store provides to developers.

Approaching his 10th anniversary as CEO, Cook has previously appeared twice at congressional hearings, but this will be his first time testifying as a witness in a trial.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.