In the ongoing legal battle between Apple and Epic Games, Magistrate Judge Thomas S. Hixson has denied Apple’s eleventh-hour request for an extension to produce approximately 1.3 million documents related to recent App Store changes.
The documents, originally ordered by Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers to be produced by May 31st, are now due Monday, September 30th, 2024. Judge Hixson criticized Apple’s conduct, calling the last-minute plea for more time “bad behavior” and questioning the credibility of Apple’s claim that it only recently discovered the increased volume of documents, as revealed by Apple Insider.
This dispute comes from Epic Games‘ deliberate violation of App Store rules in 2020, which led to its removal from the platform. The current situation has led Apple to update its App Store rules in Europe, now letting other companies offer payment methods.
Judge Hixson suggested that Apple, with its vast resources, should be capable of reviewing the documents over a weekend if necessary. He thought that Apple might be hesitant because the documents could show they didn’t follow earlier court orders.
As the battle between Epic and Apple continues, this latest development could have significant implications for the tech giant’s App Store practices and the broader debate on App Store monopolies.