{"id":337633,"date":"2021-09-11T00:11:19","date_gmt":"2021-09-10T21:11:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/the-ruling-is-in-and-now-it-gets-complicated-review-geek\/"},"modified":"2021-09-11T00:11:19","modified_gmt":"2021-09-10T21:11:19","slug":"the-ruling-is-in-and-now-it-gets-complicated-review-geek","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-ruling-is-in-and-now-it-gets-complicated-review-geek\/","title":{"rendered":"#The Ruling Is In, and Now It Gets Complicated \u2013 Review Geek"},"content":{"rendered":"

“#The Ruling Is In, and Now It Gets Complicated \u2013 Review Geek”<\/strong><\/p>\n

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DenPhotos\/Shutterstock<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

After a year of litigation, Judge Gonzalez Rogers has issued a permanent injunction<\/a> in the Epic vs. App<\/a>le<\/em> case, forcing Apple to allow outgoing purchase links in iOS apps by December 9th. It seems like a win for app developers, but Epic CEO Tim Sweeney considers the trial a failure and will most likely appeal the decision, according to NPR tech reporter Bobby Allyn<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The story leading up to this injunction is a big mess, so let\u2019s do a quick recap. Under Apple\u2019s current policy, all in-app iOS purchases must go through the App Store. It\u2019s a shifty way for Apple to control the iOS experience, but more importantly, it allows Apple to take a 30% cut of all in-app sales on iPhone or iPad.<\/p>\n

Most developers agree that this 30% fee is unreasonable, and in August of 2020, Epic Game<\/a>s decided to do something about it. The company stuck an outgoing payment system in its iOS Fortnite<\/em> app and offered a 20% discount on all in-game currency purchased through this system. Unsurprisingly, Apple responded by removing Fortnite<\/em> from the App Store, giving Epic Games the perfect excuse to open an antitrust lawsuit.<\/p>\n

Since the suit opened, Apple has made a conscious effort to encourage competition inside and outside of its product ecosystem. It announced a steep reduction<\/a> in App Store fees, for instance, and delayed its AirTags launch to bring 3rd party products into its Find My network. (Microsoft and other tech giants have taken on a similar \u201copen and secure<\/a>\u201d tone over the last year, a sign that they\u2019re worried about falling in Epic Games\u2019 crosshairs.)<\/p>\n

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Epic spokeswoman confirms it is appealing the decision; Apple is “considering all legal options” in response. Nobody’s happy!<\/p>\n

\u2014 Bobby Allyn (@BobbyAllyn) September 10, 2021<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

So while Epic succeeded in relaxing the App Store\u2019s grip on in-app purchases, it failed to convince the U.S. District Court that Apple is running a monopoly. Apple celebrated this fact in an email to\u00a0The Verge<\/em><\/a>\u2014\u201cthe Court has affirmed what we\u2019ve known all along: the App Store is not in violation of antitrust law.\u201d<\/p>\n

Epic also feels that it failed to make a serious change to Apple\u2019s App Store. While Apple must allow external links in iOS apps, it still won\u2019t allow developers to stick custom payment systems within<\/em> their apps. Tim Sweeney made his disappointment clear in a Twitter<\/a> post stating that \u201cFortnite<\/em> won\u2019t return to iOS until \u201cEpic can offer in-app payment in fair competition with Apple.\u201d<\/p>\n

To add insult to injury, the court ruled that Epic Games must provide a $3.5 million settlement to Apple. This settlement is a 30% cut of the over $12 million that Epic earned by redirecting Fortnite<\/em> players to an external payment system in 2020. (A drop in the bucket for Epic Games, and frankly, a small price to pay for the App Stores changes that may unfurl over the coming months.)<\/p>\n

If early reports<\/a> (and common sense) are correct, then Epic Games will appeal the U.S. District Court\u2019s ruling. This could lead to further App Store changes if Epic Games can make a compelling antitrust case against Apple.<\/p>\n

Source: U.S. District Court, Northern District of California<\/a> via The Verge<\/a><\/small>\n<\/div>\n