The ongoing legal battle between Epic v. Apple almost ended this week with a defeat for both parties. Well, it depends on who you ask: Epic described it as a loss and announced plans to appeal, while Apple declared it won without acknowledging the concessions the court imposed on it.
However, one match definitely won: Peely.
Peely is a recurring Fortnite character, a banana, and also the central figure in perhaps the strangest moment of the trial. The edge reflected on the Peely incident after Judge Yvonne González Rogers rendered her ruling on the lawsuit. The incident began as a joke about whether it was appropriate for Peely to appear naked in court.
González Rogers officially stated in the ruling that “the Court agrees, Peely is ‘just a banana man’, the additional clothing was not necessary but it was informative.”
Peely’s entry into the trial came on day six, when Apple’s attorney questioned Epic VP of Marketing Matthew Weissinger for more information on how Fortnite job. During the review, Apple’s attorney noted that they chose to show Peely in his’Agent Peely‘attire (above) as “We thought it was better to go with the suit than the bare banana, since we are in federal court this morning.”
While clearly a joke, a fact reinforced by the Gonzalez Rogers ruling, Epic doubled down on the banana after Apple criticized the company for hosting ‘Itch.io’, a store with “so-called adult games.”
Epic’s attorney asked Weissinger about Peely, requesting that a photo of Peely be shown on screen.
“Is there something inappropriate about Peely without clothes on?” asked the lawyer, to which Weissinger replied:
“He’s just a banana man.”
And there you have it. A federal judge has officially ruled that a banana can appear naked in court, a victory for Peely and his cohort. Perhaps, too, a loss to the rest of us, depending on your opinions about bananas.
Image credits: Anna sullivan (Unsplash), Fortnite Wiki