> Meanwhile Apple's actual competition in the App store market does the exact same ban
Google Play doesn't compete with Apple's app store or Apple's payment processing... since you can't install Google Play on IPhones.
Fortnite does compete with Apple, in terms of payment processing. Fortnite chose to do it themselves (to get standing), and were promptly banned from operating on IPhones. Epic Games distributes Fortnite themselves in their own app store, but apple has prevented that app store from being installed on IPhones.
> In an actual court of law (rather than court of public opinion) there is no way Epic will win especially since Google took the same stance.
You definitely shouldn't be stating this this strongly. You might think it's a weak argument (I don't), but it's certainly far from hopeless.
If you'll excuse the appeal to authority (since repeating the fine legal arguments in the brief seems pointless, you can read them better written there). Look at who has signed onto this complaint for a moment. The lawyers representing Epic Games include a former Federal Trade Commissioner and senate confirmed assistant Attorney General heading the anti-trust division (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christine_A._Varney) and a former judge (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katherine_B._Forrest). You don't get people like this to represent you if they don't agree with you.
Google Play does compete with the App store. Both on the developer side (choosing which platform to support) and on the consumer side (choosing which phone/ecosystem to enter).
Google Play is a competitor with Apple's app store at the level of being an important component in an ecosystem that you choose between. They are comparative.
You have to look at the situation from Apple's perspective.
They are trying to create a level playing field for all developers on the App Store. I get that Epic would be unhappy that they don't have the weight to force Apple to bend to their whim, and App Store policies are by and far non-negotiable.
I don't understand the anti-competitive angle here, if anything Apple is promoting competition. Furthermore, Apple's AppStore policies have created a very high quality marketplace.
Google Play doesn't compete with Apple's app store or Apple's payment processing... since you can't install Google Play on IPhones.
Fortnite does compete with Apple, in terms of payment processing. Fortnite chose to do it themselves (to get standing), and were promptly banned from operating on IPhones. Epic Games distributes Fortnite themselves in their own app store, but apple has prevented that app store from being installed on IPhones.
> In an actual court of law (rather than court of public opinion) there is no way Epic will win especially since Google took the same stance.
You definitely shouldn't be stating this this strongly. You might think it's a weak argument (I don't), but it's certainly far from hopeless.
If you'll excuse the appeal to authority (since repeating the fine legal arguments in the brief seems pointless, you can read them better written there). Look at who has signed onto this complaint for a moment. The lawyers representing Epic Games include a former Federal Trade Commissioner and senate confirmed assistant Attorney General heading the anti-trust division (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christine_A._Varney) and a former judge (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katherine_B._Forrest). You don't get people like this to represent you if they don't agree with you.