![]() ![]() Prescriptive measures that could address the 30% commission fees or seek alternatives to Apple’s payment system are more likely than a full ruling against Apple, experts said. “I tend to think that the judge may support Apple’s ability to manage their App Store, but find for Epic on forced use of ApplePay,” Ted Claypoole, an intellectual property lawyer told MarketWatch. Apple does not allow app makers to guide consumers to other ways to pay that would allow them to avoid the App Store’s payments system and commission fee, as Epic attempted to do before Apple kicked its popular game “Fortnite” out of the App Store. If anything, he said, Epic’s website and app store offered evidence of ways to “circumvent” Apple’s In-App Purchase system, which is at the core of Epic’s lawsuit. ![]() “And she, like other judges, does not want her decision to be overruled.”įor more: What each side was able to prove in the Epic vs. “The judge will rule in Apple’s favor because the law is clearly on Apple’s side,” said Carl Szabo, vice president of tech lobbying group NetChoice, whose members include Google parent Alphabet Inc. How she defines the relevant market in the historic case could lead to remedies that push narrow, nuanced prescriptive measures, but none of the experts that MarketWatch spoke with expected that she would outright rule Apple is exerting illegal control over a monopoly. We’ll be happy to help.Throughout closing arguments on Monday, the judge signaled she was troubled by monopolistic forces at work in the iOS ecosystem, but acknowledged that federal courts don’t run businesses. Need help or have any questions? Reach out and contact an expert from our team. It’s easy to sign up and start using Web Shop, so get started today and keep more of what you earn. And with a similar court case from Epic Games against Google going to trial in November, we have no doubt that this trend will continue. Web Shop is the best means for developers to take advantage of this ruling, as it provides a simple and secure way to accept payments from players. Most importantly, this ruling allows developers to continue using third-party payment systems outside of the App Store, which will give them more control over their revenue and help them earn a bigger return on their games. Apple will now be required to allow in-app messaging, buttons, links, and so on, which players can use to complete their purchases at a third-party marketplace. So, what does this change for game publishers and developers? It really comes down to a case of Epic losing the battle, but winning the war. ![]() Once again, Apple declared victory, while Epic Games founder and CEO Tim Sweeney highlighted the court upholding the anti-steering injunction against Apple. In April 2023, a three-judge panel in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals agreed that the lower court ruling should be upheld. Xsolla’s own Web Shop solution was designed precisely for this, and the ruling was seen as a win for game publishers and developers everywhere.īoth sides appealed the decision in that case, and hearings began in November 2022. ![]() The judge in the Epic case had ruled that Apple should allow developers to use in-app links and messaging to communicate about better deals at other storefronts, but the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals issued a stay on enforcement of the injunction in December of 2021, which blocked that portion of the ruling.Īt that point, in late 2021, the door was opened wide for developers to immediately begin contacting players via email or social media to direct them towards alternative storefronts and payment methods, saving money for players and giving more revenue back to the developers. Due to a separate lawsuit, Apple removed language in their App Store Review Guidelines that prevented developers from contacting players outside of the game/app about alternative purchase methods. The court issued a permanent injunction blocking Apple from using its “anti-steering” policies that disallowed linking game/app users to other storefronts. However, the one ruling against Apple was critical for any game publisher or developer seeking to use a third-party payment option for games in the App Store. In the first ruling on the case from September 2021, the court found in favor of Apple on 9 of the 10 counts. While Apple has claimed this latest ruling as a victory, one crucial component of the sole judgment against Apple highlights enormous potential for game developers and publishers.įirst, a quick refresher on the situation: Epic Games sued Apple in August 2020, alleging that Apple’s App Store policies were unfair and anti-competitive, and cited their 30% revenue cut as an unfair “tax” for the use of the App Store. The Clash of the Titans continues! As you may have heard, another key decision was recently handed down in the Epic Games v. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |