Valve declines Apple's request for data against Epic in antitrust lawsuit

If the judge rules in favour of Valve, it could mean that Apple would need to find another way to gain data to prove its case.

Apple vs Epic Games (REUTERS)

What started as an unceremonious ejection for Epic Games' battle royale Fortnite from Apple's App Store after it deliberately refused to play by Apple's rules, has now turned into an antitrust lawsuit against the Cupertino company. On Friday, the company's plans to take the fight to Epic in court received a small setback, after game publishing platform Valve refused to divulge data that Apple says it could need to help make its case in court, according to a report by Engadget.

Apple had subpoenaed a vast amount of information from Steam - details on 436 titles, their availability, the company's financial performance, and other metrics, according to Engadget. However, the company has stated the request was too broad and also involved confidential information. It has also questioned why Apple wants the data as it is not a competitor on mobile app stores.

The Cupertino based tech giant is still awaiting the decision of the court - if it holds that Valve has to hand over the data, it would still be a challenge for Apple to show how the same model would apply to its own mobile platform - Valve itself is a third party on Microsoft Windows and Apple's macOS and competes with other stores (including Epics own Store) that users can install freely.

If the judge does turn the request down, ruling in favour of Valve, it could mean that Apple would need to find another way to gain data to prove its case. This may prove difficult for Apple, which now faces the possibility of action in the EU after Epic earlier this week filed a complaint against the company in Europe.