In an antitrust lawsuit brought by Epic Games, Apple won an appeals court verdict on Monday upholding its App Store standards as per reports. The majority of Epic’s accusations that Apple violated antitrust laws by barring other app stores on its devices were rejected by the court.
Apple welcomed the decision as a resounding victory while Epic Games focuses on the next steps
The court’s decision on Monday essentially rejected Epic’s arguments that Apple’s online marketplace policies violated federal law because they ban third-party app marketplaces on its operating system. Apple hailed the outcome as a “resounding victory,” as nine out of ten claims were decided in their favor, with the rejection of Apple’s anti-steering provisions.
The company said in an official statement said: “The App Store continues to promote competition, drive innovation, and expand opportunity, and we’re proud of its profound contributions to both users and developers around the world. We respectfully disagree with the court’s ruling on the one remaining claim under state law and are considering a further review.”
Tim Sweeney, the CEO of Epic Games, said that even if Apple won the case, the appeals court at least upheld the part of the 2020 decision that favored Epic. He also added that they are working on the next steps while mentioning the court’s decision rejecting Apple’s anti-steering provisions to be positive.
The battle began with Epic’s lawsuit in 2020
Back in 2020, the Fortnite maker challenged Apple’s limits on games having different in-app purchasing mechanisms than the one provided by the App Store. Tim Sweeney had previously criticized Apple’s 30% revenue cut on each App Store purchase.
The conflict arose after Apple removed the Fortnite game from the App Store because Epic devised a method to avoid paying a 30% fee on users’ in-app purchases. Epic also previously paid Apple a hefty sum after being ordered by the court to do so for not adhering to Apple guidelines and breaching their contract.
What are your thoughts on the Apple and Epic Games legal battle with the former emerging victorious in the lawsuit? Do let us know your opinions in the comments below!
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