Latest news with #Antitrust
New York Times
21-05-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Fortnite Returns to Apple's App Store After Scoring a Legal Victory
Apple restored the popular game Fortnite to the App Store in the United States on Tuesday, nearly five years after it was kicked out of the store and its developer sued the tech giant in an antitrust case. Fortnite's reinstatement is the result of recent twists in a long-running federal court battle. Last month, a judge with the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California ruled that Apple cannot reject apps for including links to outside payment methods that enable developers to avoid the App Store's 30 percent commission. Apple told the game's developer, Epic Games, days later that it had the contractual right to reject an app from the store, court documents show. But Epic said that Apple was circumventing the ruling. On Monday, Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers called on Apple to reinstate Fortnite to the App Store or return to court to prove it had a legal basis for not doing so. The next day, Fortnite was back on iPhones and iPads in the United States, and Epic and Apple signed a joint statement to the court saying they had resolved that particular dispute. Representatives for Epic and Apple did not respond to requests for comment late Tuesday. Their fight began in 2020, when the game maker started encouraging users of the Fortnite app to pay it directly, rather than through the App Store. It also gave users instructions for getting around Google's payment system. Hours later, Apple and Google banned Fortnight from their official app stores. Epic then swiftly sued the two tech giants over their requirements that it use their payment systems. A federal appeals court found in 2023 that Apple did not have a monopoly in mobile games, as Epic had argued. But it said that Apple had violated California's Unfair Competition Law, and it ordered the company to allow apps with links and buttons for purchasing software and services outside the App Store. Apple and Epic appealed, for different reasons, but the Supreme Court declined last year to review the case. The two companies are still fighting in court over Apple's App Store policies. After the 2023 ruling, Apple changed its policies to allow developers to link to alternative payment options. But it created screens to discourage online purchases by making them appear dangerous and continued charging a commission for online purchases, court documents show. Epic then argued in court that Apple wasn't complying with the order, and a judge ruled in Epic's favor in April. Apple is appealing that ruling and has requested a delay of the court's order to loosen its grip on the App Store. In Epic's case with Google, a jury ruled in 2023 that Google had maintained a monopoly in the smartphone app store market. Google has appealed, and its app store, Google Play, still does not carry Fortnite. But the game can be downloaded onto Android phones directly from Epic's games store. Google did not respond to a request for comment late Tuesday.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Former Kennedy Center President Decries Trump Team's 'Malicious Attempt To Distort The Facts' About Finances During Her Tenure
When President Donald Trump hosted the board of the Kennedy Center at the White House on Monday night, the adviser he selected to lead the institution, Ric Grenell, spoke briefly of what he characterized as a 'fraud' in the way that the finances of the institution were previously handled. But the person who Grenell replaced, Deborah Rutter, today called out what she called a 'malicious attempt to distort the facts' about her tenure. More from Deadline Live Nation Adds Trump Confidant, Kennedy Center Head Richard Grenell To Board Amid DOJ Antitrust Lawsuit Violent & Jealous Sean "Diddy" Combs Demanded $20K "Recoup", Cassie Ventura's Mother Testifies In Sex-Trafficking Trial; Family Had To Take Out Home Loan To Pay Multi-Millionaire Marcus Mabry Joins MSNBC As Senior Vice President Of Content Strategy 'I stand by my assertion that at the time of my departure, the Kennedy Center was fiscally sound, ontrack to balance its budget for the year, and positioned to grow its endowment significantly whileserving as a beacon for free artistic expression and a place where everyone could belong,' Rutter said in a statement. Just weeks into his presidency, Trump removed all the board members who had been appointed by Joe Biden. The Trump-controlled board ousted Rutter, and Trump himself replaced the chairman, David Rubenstein. Grenell, a longtime adviser, was named the new president. At the White House dinner on Monday, with figures such as Steve Wynn and Lee Greenwood in attendance, Grenell said that Trump 'is actually saving the Kennedy Center,' while calling the deferred maintenance on the complex 'criminal.' Grenell said that the new CFO of the Kennedy Center, Donna Arduin, went through the budgets from 2024 and 2025 and found $26 million in 'phantom revenue.' 'It's criminal,' Grenell said, adding that they would refer the matter to the U.S. Attorney's Office. Attorney General Pam Bondi is a member of the board, Grenell noted, and 'she heard all the details. 'This is unacceptable in America to have a fake revenue of $26 million — fraud on previous donors.' In her statement, Rutter, who led the center for 10 years, said that during her tenure they 'adopted an operating budget for the upcoming fiscal year, which was approved by the board. That budget served as a blueprint for our operations and programming – standard and responsible practice in arts management. In addition, in line with established management best practices, the Finance, Audit, and Executive Committees of the Board—composed of appointees from President Trump's first term—had full transparency into all financial transactions and decisions. Financial statements, as well as audit reports, were presented at every board meeting, in fulfillment of the board's fiduciary responsibilities.' She also said that they established a reserve fund to cover potential shortfalls, and that about $10 million was available at the time she left in February. She added that since she left, she has not had access to the current financial situation situation 'nor as to how changes in management as well as donor and patron behavior is impacting this year's operating budget.' Trump's takeover of the Kennedy Center was followed by a number of artists backing out of shows, including the producers of Hamilton, which was to run in 2026. 'Perhaps those now in charge are facing significant financial gaps and are seeking to attribute them to past management, which would include the Board of Trustees, some of whom were appointed by President Trump, in his previous term,' Rutter said. She also invoked a legal standard used by public figures in defamation claims. 'This malicious attempt to distort the facts, which were consistently, transparently and readily available in professionally audited financial reports, recklessly disregards the truth.' Trump previously visited the Kennedy Center in March and called for upgrading the facilities. He also criticized a recent expansion of the complex. As House Republicans seek to pass a massive reconciliation bill, one budget proposal, reportedly requested by the White House, is for $257 million to renovate the Kennedy Center. Trump has otherwise sought to eliminate funding for major arts and cultural agencies, including the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities. In a statement to The Washington Post, Rubenstein said that 'with full transparency, the financial reports were reviewed and approved by the Kennedy Center's audit committee and full board as well as a major accounting firm.' A Kennedy Center spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Kennedy Center's budget in 2024 is about $268 million, per Rubenstein, and $45 million of that comes from a federal appropriation to be used for operations and maintenance. The Kennedy Center's new management under Grenell recently announced its upcoming season, with a line up that includes Broadway musicals The Outsiders, Moulin Rouge! The Musical, Back to the Future The Musical, Mrs. Doubtfire and Spamalot. Trump had criticized the Kennedy Center's past programming, and at the White House on Monday, chided what he characterized as 'rampant political propaganda, DEI and inappropriate shows.' 'They had dance parties for queer and trans youth,' Trump said, adding that they had 'a marxist anti-police performance and they had lesbian-only Shakespeare.' Grenell said that 'when you pick programs that are popular with the public, they respond. People buy tickets.' 'I like to be challenged by the arts,' Grenell said. 'I like it when somebody can teach me and make me a little bit uncomfortable in a show. But one thing that we are not going to do at the Kennedy Center is inappropriate content for children.' The Kennedy Center's lineup for this season, chosen when Rutter and Rubenstein still led the institution, also was heavy in Broadway shows and non-controversial fare, including Legally Blonde: The Musical, The Sound of Music and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Another show, Les Misérables, opens next month, Trump is reportedly planning to host a fundraiser tied to the performance. Best of Deadline Everything We Know About The 'Hunger Games: Sunrise On The Reaping' Movie So Far Sean 'Diddy' Combs Sex-Trafficking Trial Updates: Cassie Ventura's Testimony, $10M Hotel Settlement, Drugs, Violence, & The Feds All The 'Mission: Impossible' Movies In Order - See Tom Cruise's 30-Year Journey As Ethan Hunt
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Former Kennedy Center President Decries Trump Team's 'Malicious Attempt To Distort The Facts' About Finances During Her Tenure
When President Donald Trump hosted the board of the Kennedy Center at the White House on Monday night, the adviser he selected to lead the institution, Ric Grenell, spoke briefly of what he characterized as a 'fraud' in the way that the finances of the institution were previously handled. But the person who Grenell replaced, Deborah Rutter, today called out what she called a 'malicious attempt to distort the facts' about her tenure. More from Deadline Live Nation Adds Trump Confidant, Kennedy Center Head Richard Grenell To Board Amid DOJ Antitrust Lawsuit Violent & Jealous Sean "Diddy" Combs Demanded $20K "Recoup", Cassie Ventura's Mother Testifies In Sex-Trafficking Trial; Family Had To Take Out Home Loan To Pay Multi-Millionaire Marcus Mabry Joins MSNBC As Senior Vice President Of Content Strategy 'I stand by my assertion that at the time of my departure, the Kennedy Center was fiscally sound, ontrack to balance its budget for the year, and positioned to grow its endowment significantly whileserving as a beacon for free artistic expression and a place where everyone could belong,' Rutter said in a statement. Just weeks into his presidency, Trump removed all the board members who had been appointed by Joe Biden. The Trump-controlled board ousted Rutter, and Trump himself replaced the chairman, David Rubenstein. Grenell, a longtime adviser, was named the new president. At the White House dinner on Monday, with figures such as Steve Wynn and Lee Greenwood in attendance, Grenell said that Trump 'is actually saving the Kennedy Center,' while calling the deferred maintenance on the complex 'criminal.' Grenell said that the new CFO of the Kennedy Center, Donna Arduin, went through the budgets from 2024 and 2025 and found $26 million in 'phantom revenue.' 'It's criminal,' Grenell said, adding that they would refer the matter to the U.S. Attorney's Office. Attorney General Pam Bondi is a member of the board, Grenell noted, and 'she heard all the details. 'This is unacceptable in America to have a fake revenue of $26 million — fraud on previous donors.' In her statement, Rutter, who led the center for 10 years, said that during her tenure they 'adopted an operating budget for the upcoming fiscal year, which was approved by the board. That budget served as a blueprint for our operations and programming – standard and responsible practice in arts management. In addition, in line with established management best practices, the Finance, Audit, and Executive Committees of the Board—composed of appointees from President Trump's first term—had full transparency into all financial transactions and decisions. Financial statements, as well as audit reports, were presented at every board meeting, in fulfillment of the board's fiduciary responsibilities.' She also said that they established a reserve fund to cover potential shortfalls, and that about $10 million was available at the time she left in February. She added that since she left, she has not access to the current financial situation situation 'nor as to how changes in management as well as donor and patron behavior is impacting this year's operating budget.' Trump's takeover of the Kennedy Center was followed by a number of artists backing out of shows, including the producers of Hamilton, which was to run in 2026. 'Perhaps those now in charge are facing significant financial gaps and are seeking to attribute them to past management, which would include the Board of Trustees, some of whom were appointed by President Trump, in his previous term,' Rutter said. She also invoked a legal standard used by public figures in defamation claims. 'This malicious attempt to distort the facts, which were consistently, transparently and readily available in professionally audited financial reports, recklessly disregards the truth.' Trump previously visited the Kennedy Center in March and called for upgrading the facilities. He also criticized a recent expansion of the complex. As House Republicans seek to pass a massive reconciliation bill, one budget proposal, reportedly requested by the White House, is for $257 million to renovate the Kennedy Center. Trump has otherwise sought to eliminate funding for major arts and cultural agencies, including the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities. In a statement to The Washington Post, Rubenstein said that 'with full transparency, the financial reports were reviewed and approved by the Kennedy Center's audit committee and full board as well as a major accounting firm.' A Kennedy Center spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Kennedy Center's budget in 2024 is about $268 million, per Rubenstein, and $45 million of that comes from a federal appropriation to be used for operations and maintenance. The Kennedy Center's new management under Grenell recently announced its upcoming season, with a line up that includes Broadway musicals The Outsiders, Moulin Rouge! The Musical, Back to the Future The Musical, Mrs. Doubtfire and Spamalot. Trump had criticized the Kennedy Center's past programming, and at the White House on Monday, chided what he characterized as 'rampant political propaganda, DEI and inappropriate shows.' 'They had dance parties for queer and trans youth,' Trump said, adding that they had 'a marxist anti-police performance and they had lesbian-only Shakespeare.' Grenell said that 'when you pick programs that are popular with the public, they respond. People buy tickets.' 'I like to be challenged by the arts,' Grenell said. 'I like it when somebody can teach me and make me a little bit uncomfortable in a show. But one thing that we are not going to do at the Kennedy Center is inappropriate content for children.' The Kennedy Center's lineup for this season, chosen when Rutter and Rubenstein still led the institution, also was heavy in Broadway shows and non-controversial fare, including Legally Blonde: The Musical, The Sound of Music and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Another show, Les Misérables, opens next month, Trump is reportedly planning to host a fundraiser tied to the performance. Best of Deadline Everything We Know About The 'Hunger Games: Sunrise On The Reaping' Movie So Far Sean 'Diddy' Combs Sex-Trafficking Trial Updates: Cassie Ventura's Testimony, $10M Hotel Settlement, Drugs, Violence, & The Feds All The 'Mission: Impossible' Movies In Order - See Tom Cruise's 30-Year Journey As Ethan Hunt
Fast Company
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Fast Company
Why is Fortnite not available on iPhones in the U.S.?
Epic Games ' 'Fortnite' video game was not available on Apple's iPhone devices in the European Union and the United States on Friday. Access to Fortnite via Apple's iPhone Operating System and through its App Store will be unavailable worldwide until Apple unblocks it, Epic Games said. Epic Games did not give a reason why Fortnite was blocked, but Apple said it had asked Epic Sweden to resubmit the app update without including the U.S. storefront so as not to impact Fortnite in other geographies. 'We did not take any action to remove the live version of Fortnite from alternative distribution marketplaces,' an Apple spokesperson said. Epic, a U.S.-based studio, backed by China's Tencent, is the world's largest game studio. It was launched in 2017 and its last-player-standing, 'battle royale' format became an instant hit, drawing millions of players. Since 2020, it has been in a legal battle with Apple, after the gaming firm alleged that Apple's practice of charging a commission of up to 30% on in-app payments violated U.S. antitrust rules. Late on Friday, Epic Games asked a U.S. judge in California to hold Apple in contempt for blocking the return of 'Fortnite' to the App Store in the U.S. In a court filing, Epic said Apple should be required, as part of a prior court ruling to allow the distribution of Fortnite. Apple's blocking of the app was 'blatant retaliation against Epic for challenging Apple's anticompetitive behavior and exposing its lies to the court,' Epic's filing added. Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the filing outside regular business hours. Apple banned Fortnite from its store in 2020 but allowed the game back last year following pressure from European Union authorities for Big Tech companies to comply with the bloc's Digital Markets Act.
Entrepreneur
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Entrepreneur
Is Fortnite Apple Blocked From the Apple App Store?
Epic Games' megahit "Fortnite" is currently unavailable on iPhones in the U.S. and the E.U. Fortnite players in the U.S. and E.U. have been caught in a battle royale that they hope will soon end: Apple vs. Epic Games. On Friday, Fortnite, which is owned by Epic Games, said that Apple blocked access to the online game on iPhone devices, writing on X: "Apple has blocked our Fortnite submission so we cannot release to the U.S. App Store or to the Epic Games Store for iOS in the European Union." An Apple spokesperson told CBS News that it had asked Epic Sweden to "resubmit the app update without including the U.S. storefront of the App Store so as not to impact Fortnite in other geographies. We did not take any action to remove the live version of Fortnite from alternative distribution marketplaces." Related: Coinbase CEO Says Company Won't Pay Hackers' Ransom Fortnite says that the game will remain unavailable globally on iOS until Apple unblocks it. They say that they submitted Fortnite to Apple for review last week, and Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney said that Apple should feel free to accept or reject whatever they like, but added, "App Review shouldn't be weaponized by senior management as a tool to delay or obstruct competition, due process, or free speech." In 2020, Epic Games sued Apple after Fortnite was booted from the App Store, stating that Apple held an illegal monopoly with the App Store, and its commission of up to 30% on in-app payments violated U.S. antitrust rules, reports Reuters. In 2024, it was allowed back. Hopefully, the tech giants will settle their differences soon so that players can get back to killing each other on their iPhones.
