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Apple and DOJ Face Pushback on Subpoenas from Tech Companies in Antitrust Case
Key points
- Apple and DOJ issued subpoenas to third-party companies for antitrust case.
- Epic Games, Samsung, and others are pushing back on subpoena scope.
- Companies cite disproportionate burden in producing requested documents.
- Disputes involve previous lawsuit documents and executive files.
Background of the Antitrust Lawsuit
In March 2024, the Department of Justice, along with 15 states and the District of Columbia, filed a lawsuit against Apple. The suit alleges that Apple restricts competition, limits interoperability with rival products, and makes it difficult for consumers to switch to competing devices. Apple has denied these allegations.
Discovery Phase and Subpoena Issuance
As part of the pretrial discovery process, both Apple and the DOJ have issued subpoenas to various third-party companies. Apple has subpoenaed entities like Epic Games, Samsung Electronics America, Meta, Oura, and Garmin to gather evidence for its defense. The DOJ and plaintiff states have also issued subpoenas to companies including Roblox, Epic Games, and Snap to support their claims against Apple.
The objective for both parties is to use data from Apple's competitors and commercial partners to assess the impact of Apple's policies on competition and determine if these policies constitute anticompetitive behavior.
Companies Dispute Subpoena Scope
Recent court filings indicate that several companies are challenging the breadth of these subpoenas. Disputes center on the scope of information requested and the burden of producing certain documents.
Epic Games, for example, argues that Apple's requests for documents from three prior lawsuits (Epic v. Apple in the US, Epic v. Apple in Australia, and Epic v. Google in the US), along with extensive internal file searches for three senior executives, including its CEO, are disproportionately burdensome. Despite this, Epic has offered to provide specific information, such as Fortnite user and revenue data, contracts with Google and Samsung, and records related to Apple’s Core Technology Fee.
Samsung has agreed to search documents belonging to two executives, which it states have yielded relevant information.
Implications for the Case
These disputes over discovery could prolong the pretrial phase of the antitrust lawsuit. The ability of both Apple and the DOJ to obtain comprehensive information from third parties is crucial for building their respective cases regarding competitive practices in the tech industry.
✨ This summary was generated by AI from the outlets' reporting listed below. It is not independently verified and may contain errors — check the original sources. How BrevFeed works →
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Reporting from
Several tech companies, including Epic Games and Samsung, are disputing the scope of subpoenas issued by Apple and the Department of Justice in their ongoing antitrust lawsuit. These companies argue that the requests for documents and information are overly broad and burdensome, complicating the discovery phase of the legal battle.