Apple’s Tim Cook faces judge with stakes beyond RM588.44bil of apps

When Cook takes the stand, he’ll likely be questioned about Apple’s app strategy and the competitive landscape. He’s also scheduled to be Apple’s final witness, giving him a critical chance to sway Gonzalez Rogers, who will decide the case without a jury. — AFP/Brooks Kraft/Apple Inc

Inside the imposing beige and white limestone-walled federal courthouse in downtown Oakland, lawyers clad in face masks and plastic shields and armed with cartloads of corporate documents are brawling daily over tech arcana – the Byzantine rules that govern Apple Inc’s App Store.

The contours of Epic Games Inc’s complaint are widely known: the game developer alleges that Apple keeps too much of the revenue raised by businesses selling wares in the marketplace and that its rules are unfair and anticompetitive. Apple chief executive officer Tim Cook will take the stand as soon as May 21 to argue that Apple’s rules ensure a secure and seamless user experience and that developers make bank through the App Store.