The legal battle between the giants’ Apple and Epic Games finally reached a conclusion. It is not a new thing that legal delegations between two major companies happen. But things take a dirty turn when one doesn’t follow the guidelines or mandates that were put in place by the other. These results in legal battles and lawsuits, which sure causes headaches for both sides.
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The recent one in this regard was between Apple and Epic Games, where the former blocked the latter on its platform. Now a conclusion has been made in this fight.
Apple vs Epic Games: The Final Verdict
The fight between Apple and Epic Games has been going on for a while, but now has come to a conclusion that has favored the former. According to reports by Bloomberg, the anti-trust allegations were dropped by the court.
The fight between the two giants commenced concerning the popular battle royale game Fortnite. Around 3 years ago, 2020 August to be exact, Apple was seen voicing concerns regarding the in-game purchase of the game. During that time, Epic Games introduced a payment option that bypassed Apple’s in-app payment system. This infuriated Apple, who removed the game from its app store in 2021.
Reuters
Smartphone with Epic Games logo is seen in front of Apple logo in this illustration taken, May 2, 2021. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
This ignited the legal battle between the two companies. In September 2021, a federal judge ruled in favor of Apple, stating that the tech giant did not violate any anti-trust laws. Of course, Epic Games did not back out. They went on to appeal at the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
Now, after much time, the ruling has come, which again has resulted in favor of Apple. The Ninth Circuit of Appeals deemed that Apple’s policies lie within and are consistent with the Antitrust laws, and thus do not violate the set principles. Apple considers this a ‘resounding victory’.
The court ruling had a bit more additions as well. It has allowed Apple to continue with its decision regarding App Store policies. This includes the 30% cuts from the in-app purchases. But there is a silver lining for the other party as well.
The court also has issued a ruling stating that Apple must allow developers the chance to take app users to an external payment platform as well to avoid the 30% cut.
Tim Sweeney speaks on Apple v Epic Games lawsuit
Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney considers this as very delightful news and took to Twitter to share his thoughts.
Apple prevailed at the 9th Circuit Court. Though the court upheld the ruling that Apple's restraints have "a substantial anticompetitive effect that harms consumers", they found we didn't prove our Sherman Act case.
— Tim Sweeney (@TimSweeneyEpic) April 24, 2023
Fortunately, the court's positive decision rejecting Apple's anti-steering provisions frees iOS developers to send consumers to the web to do business with them directly there. We're working on next steps.
— Tim Sweeney (@TimSweeneyEpic) April 24, 2023
Moreover, the Ninth Circuit Appeal has reversed the district court decision regarding Apple being not entitled to an ‘attorney fee’ claim against Epic Games.
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Now Apple can claim fees from Epic Games for the lawsuit
