#FreeFortnite Hecklers Add a Shout-Out to Epic-Apple Trial

May 4, 2021

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(Bloomberg) -- Fans of Fortnite aren’t happy that Apple Inc. pulled the game app off the iPhone last year -- and some aren’t shy about appealing to the federal judge who has the power to make things right.

“Can we please have Fortnite mobile back?” a voice was heard saying Tuesday as a clerk was testing dial-in access for the public to monitor Epic Games Inc.’s trial against Apple in federal court in Oakland, California.

Yesterday, as the three-week trial opened, there were enough hecklers who’d figured out how to unmute themselves -- against the court’s rules -- that the phone system was briefly shut down, prompting some online commentators to refer to the situation as a hijacking.

On Tuesday morning, the number of listeners dialed into the court’s audio feed was about a third of the almost 500 who were on the line a day earlier, but there were also unofficial streaming options on YouTube for others to follow the proceedings. A spokesman for the court didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

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