The start of the legal battle between "Apple" and the publisher of "Fortnite" game

On Monday, a California court began hearing the lawsuit filed by Epic Games, the publisher of the famous video game Fortnite, against Apple, amid widespread media follow-up, and for three weeks it will witness mutual accusations of monopoly and greed, a case that will have an impact on the entire technology economy. And on its platforms that are used by billions.

"We will unequivocally prove that Apple has a monopoly," said Epic's agent, lawyer Catherine Forrest, in her initial intervention, which was watched by hundreds of people using their phones.

Forrest said that the "App Store" for applications, which is the mandatory pathway for downloading applications on "iPhone" and "iPad" devices, is operating in a way more like a "walled garden".

This critical metaphor refers to the systems created and controlled by the tech giants, as they can set rules for them, give preference to their own products, and tempt users and developers who have no alternative if they want to enter this market.

The attorney considered that "Epic" would "provide more innovation and better prices to consumers, had it not been for the abuse of the dominant position."

The attorney cited an email from Eddie Q, one of Apple’s vice presidents at Apple, to his boss, Tim Cook, in 2013, in which he said that “getting customers to use our iTunes, App Store and iBookstore is the best way to get them addicted to the system.

Although Fortnite fans are not obligated to play on a device bearing the "Apple" trademark, "Epic" President Tim Sweeney saw that "Apple" forced his company either to agree to unfavorable terms or to lose access to this market.

Sweeney told Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers that Fortnite "extends beyond video games ... It is imperative that it be possible to include iPhone users" a billion and a little more.

Apple President Tim Cook is expected to attend the court hearings, which are being held in Oakland, near San Francisco.

And last August, "Apple" excluded "Fortnite" from the "App Store" on the pretext that it had breached the contract, immediately after Epic Games tried to circumvent the payment system in the "iOS" system to avoid the 30% commission imposed by "Apple" On sales.

"I wanted the world to see that Apple exerts complete control over access to all programs" via its mobile devices, said Tim Sweeney.

- However, "Apple" agent, Attorney Karen Dunn, considered that the group does not exercise a monopoly more than "a grocery store", accusing "Epic" of greed.

And she stressed that "Apple did not create a safe system to exclude anyone, but to invite developers."

And it said that winning the lawsuit by "Epic" means to consumers and developers "less security, less privacy, less reliability, fewer options, and less quality. All of those things are protected by antitrust laws."

"Epic will benefit from its unparalleled huge user base to generate support through social networks," said Dan Ives, an analyst at "Woodbush Securities", as there are about 350 million registered players in Fortnite around the world.

But he noted that Apple's defense is accustomed to such battles and has not suffered any failure for years.

Ives expected the group to win, "which will strengthen its grip on the application store and payments."

And with appeals and appeals, the battle could drag on for years.

But it may also influence the current debate around competition law.

The trial is scheduled to last three weeks.

With appeals and remedies, they could continue for years, but the arguments of both groups will influence the current debate on the right to competition.