A federal judge ruled Wednesday that the Apple technology company and international corporation knowingly violated an injunction intended to stop what the judge referred to as "Apple's anticompetitive conduct.

A judge referred Apple for potential criminal investigation, saying it breached an order to allow flexibility in how consumers make digital purchases from apps.

Epic Games, the maker of "Fortnite," filed an antitrust lawsuit alleging that Apple had built an illegal monopoly around its popular App Store.