Although Apple secured favourable rulings in many aspects of its lawsuit against Epic Games, it was forced to backtrack on its policy regarding commissions on out-of-app purchases. The 2021 ruling stated that Apple must allow developers to direct users to their websites for payments. However, Apple failed to comply with this order and faced criticism for introducing new restrictions that contradicted the court’s decision.
Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers used strong language in her ruling: “It was a serious miscalculation to think this Court would tolerate such defiance. As always, the attempt to cover it up only made matters worse. For this Court, there is no second bite at the apple.” Rogers also ordered the case to be referred to the U.S. Department of Justice for evaluation of potential criminal sanctions.
Following the developments, Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney announced on the social media platform X that Fortnite will be available again on the U.S. App Store next week. Sweeney also issued a statement directed at Apple, saying: “If Apple complies with the court ruling and expands the Apple-tax-free and seamless framework globally, we will bring Fortnite back to the App Store worldwide and end all ongoing litigation.”
This development could be a significant precedent for ongoing legal challenges against Apple’s App Store policies.
