July 5 (Reuters) - "Fortnite" maker Epic Games said on

Friday Apple was impeding its attempts to set up a

games store on iPhones and iPads in Europe, the latest

escalation in a bitter feud over the technology giant's control

of the iOS app ecosystem.

Apple ( AAPL ) has twice rejected documents it submitted to launch

the Epic Games Store because the design of certain buttons and

labels was similar to those used by its App Store, the

video-game publisher said.

"We are using the same "Install" and "In-app purchases"

naming conventions that are used across popular app stores on

multiple platforms, and are following standard conventions for

buttons in iOS apps," Epic said in a series of posts on X.

"Apple's ( AAPL ) rejection is arbitrary, obstructive, and in

violation of the DMA (Digital Markets Act), and we've shared our

concerns with the European Commission," it said.

Under pressure from European regulators, Apple ( AAPL ) had in March

cleared the way for Epic to put its own game store on iOS

devices in Europe.

Apple ( AAPL ) and the European Commission did not immediately

respond to Reuters requests for comment.

Epic and Apple ( AAPL ) have been embroiled in a legal battle since

2020, when the gaming firm alleged that Apple's ( AAPL ) practice of

charging up to 30% commissions on in-app payments on its iPhone

Operating System (iOS) devices violated U.S. antitrust rules.

Early this year, Apple ( AAPL ) proposed changes to its App Store

policies to comply with certain directives of the DMA that came

into force in March. The law is meant to make it easier for

European users to move between competing services.