One of the most followed legal battles today in the world of technology has been that of Epic Games vs. Apple and apparently it has come to an end, a loser winner? Or a winner loser?
Apple has won an antitrust appeal brought by Epic Gamesthe creators of the popular game Fortnite.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit upheld a 2021 lower court decision that rejected the claims of epic that the policies of the app store They violated federal laws.
Although the decision is a victory for Manzanahas still worked to address some developer concerns about how the app store.
An example of this is, the launch of the App Store Small Business Program in 2020 to allow developers who earn less than $1 million per year to pay only 15% of sales to Manzana.
The case began in 2020, when Epic Games sued Manzana for preventing the game creator from bypassing the payment system of the apps storein which Manzana charges a 30% fee to developers.
The case has had numerous decisions and appeals and is still ongoing, for example, the ruling states that Manzana makes it clear that, by improving security and privacy.
“ANDit is taking advantage of consumer demand and differentiating its products from those of its competitors, objectives that are clearly pro-competitive fundamentals.
Along with consumer surveys indicating that security is important, the ruling cites Tim Sweeney and points out that:
“Epic’s CEO even testified that he bought an iPhone instead of an Android smartphone in part because it offers ‘better security and privacy’”.
With the restrictions of Manzanausers are still free to choose whether to use iOS and your safety, or go somewhere else, like Android.
“Apple’s restrictions create a heterogeneous market for app transaction platforms that, as a result, increases competition between brands, the primary goal of antitrust law.”
The appeals panel upheld the ruling in favor of epic in California state law claims. Manzana issued a statement to AppleInsider, noting the following:
“Today’s decision confirms Apple’s victory in this case, as nine of the ten claims filed were found in its favor. This means that for the second time in two years, a federal court has ruled that Apple complies with state and federal antitrust laws.”.
The App Store continues to foster competition, innovation, and opportunity for users and developers globally, and we are proud of their significant contributions.
However, we disagree with the court’s ruling regarding the only claim pending under state law, and we are considering options for further review of this decision.
Although Manzana has won the appeal, the developer account of Fortnite it remains banned and it is unclear when or if it will be reinstated.
For his part he CEO of epic, Tim Sweeneyweighed in on the matter after the ruling, saying that “Apple prevailed in the Ninth Circuit Court.”
“Fortunately, the court’s positive decision rejecting the provisions against Apple’s management frees developers to use alternative payment systems for iOS apps outside of the App Store, allowing for greater competition and choice for consumers.”
sweeney also pointed out that the struggle of epic against Apple is not over and that the company will continue to seek “justice and competition” in the mobile application market.
The court’s decision could also have implications for other app developers who have been affected by the company’s policies. app store of Manzana.
The company has been criticized by many developers for its policy of forcing developers to use the payment system of Manzana and charge a 30% commission for transactions made through the app store.
We can say that, although Manzana won the appeal in the case of Epic Gamesthe court ruling also allows developers to use alternative payment systems in iOS applications outside of the App Store.
This could lead to more competition and choice for consumers in the mobile app market.
the fight of epic against Manzana has not been finalized and the court’s decision could have implications for other developers affected by the policies of the Apple App Store.
