Judge grills Apple chief Tim Cook in final minutes of Epic antitrust trial

Judge grills Apple chief Tim Cook in final minutes of Epic antitrust trial

Apple's chances of winning an antitrust trial brought by Epic Games appeared less certain on Friday (May 21) after the judge grilled chief executive officer Tim Cook over whether his company runs its app marketplace in a competitive way. US District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers needled Cook on why the iPhone maker won't give users the option to buy lesser-priced virtual goods and content directly from developers - and only allows purchases through Apple's own App Store, an issue at the heart of the case. In his first time testifying in a trial, Cook answered questions for more than two hours in federal court in Oakland, California, as a three-week trial in the high-stakes battle between the companies winds towards its close. "What is the problem with allowing users to have choice, especially in the gaming context, to have a cheaper option for content?" Gonzalez Rogers asked. Cook, who faced intense questioning from the judge in his final minutes on the witness stand, said that consumers "have a choice today" of buying cheaper Android phones over iPhones. Gonzalez Rogers pressed Cook further by asking him "what is the problem with Apple" if users wanted an option of paying less outside the App Store to buy V-Bucks, the in-game currency used in Epic's blockbuster Fortnite game.