Battle over the iPhone app store spills into appeals court

By MICHAEL LIEDTKE
AP Technology Writer

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Apple and the company behind the popular video game Fortnite squared off Monday before three federal appellate judges who will decide the next round in a high-stakes battle over whether the iPhone app store is an illegal monopoly that stifles competition and drives up consumer prices. The oral arguments came 14 months after a lower court judge issued a ruling largely preserved Apple’s exclusive control over the apps allowed on the more than 1 billion iPhones currently in use worldwide. Much of Monday’s 75-minute session revolved around the so-called “walled garden” Apple has built to protect the app store.