After several days of litigation, a federal court has handed down its decision in the case between Fortnite and Apple. Although the ruling was somewhat favorable to the Cupertino company, both sides decided to refer the matter to the Supreme Court to re-examine the case. However, the organization decided to reject their requests, indicating that the initial decision is still in place.
A big disappointment for both parties
Apple largely won its Epic Games case against Fortnite in court. The judge concluded that the Cupertino company had not implemented anti-competitive practices to establish its monopoly on the market. However, he urged the company to give some more privileges and leeway to developers using the App Store. In particular, the judge suggests that they should be able to direct their customers to the web from links included in their applications.
Openly protesting this decision, Apple decided to appeal to the Supreme Court to overturn it. The company does not want to allow app developers to market the payment mechanism from their own site and iOS apps. For good reason, this will help reduce the revenue received from purchases made on the App Store as well as commissions on developers. The latter, on the other hand, want to maintain a direct relationship with their customers.
Additionally, it should be noted that it can be a great advantage to transact on a web platform. In-app purchases or subscriptions may now be available at a discounted price, saving money. This is possible to the extent that developers no longer have to pay the coveted tax on the App Store. However, there is still a long way to go before convincing the legal authorities and making Apple bend.
Also read: Epic Games lays off 16% of its workforce or 870 people affected!
Keep up the fight for the developers
Hours after the Supreme Court rejection, Epic Games CEO Times Sweeney stepped up to the plate. In a statement, he said: “The Supreme Court in the antitrust case Epic Vs. Apple. A legal battle to open up iOS to rival stores and payments has been lost in the United States. A sad outcome for all developers.” However, he points out that the court’s initial decision is still in effect, which is reassuring.
Thus, developers can include buttons and external links in their applications. In addition to the IAP, they can also add other calls to action that direct customers to the purchase process. Additionally, the CEO of Epic Games suggests: “Starting today, developers can start exercising their court-recognized right to inform American consumers about better prices on the web. These awful Apple-mandated confusing screens are over forever.
Source: TechCrunch
