Apple shares statement following Epic vs. Apple legal ruling
District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers has today ruled that Apple must allow developers to offer their users alternate payment methods for in-app purchases as part of the high-profile Epic versus Apple legal battle, ruling that Epic breached the App Store developer terms and must pay Apple damages for the period it violated the App Store payment policy.
Following today’s ruling, Apple has issued a statement (shared by Nick Statt) highlighting that the App Store is not in violation of antitrust law.
Despite winning against Epic Games in their antitrust claims, Apple has now been issued with a permanent injunction, which permanently restrains Apple from prohibiting developers from accepting payments from anything other than Apple’s in-app purchase system.
Today the Court has affirmed what we’ve known all along: the App Store is not in violation of antitrust law. As the Court recognized ‘success is not illegal.’ Apple faces rigorous competition in every segment in which we do business, and we believe customers and developers choose us because our products and services are the best in the world. We remain committed to ensuring the App Store is a safe and trusted marketplace that supports a thriving developer community and more than 2.1 million U.S. jobs, and where the rules apply equally to everyone.
Apple and Google pulled Fortnite from their respective app stores last year after Epic Games pushed an update to the Fortnite app that implemented a new “direct payment” option in an effort to evade the commission the App Store and Google Play store take from in-app purchases.
Epic Games quickly fought back by filing a civil antitrust lawsuit against Apple, arguing that Apple has allegedly used a “series of anti-competitive restraints and monopolistic practices,” specifically citing the App Store and associate in-app purchase guidelines, which the Judge has today dismissed.
Epic Games vs. Apple: Judge rules Apple must allow alternate payment methods for in-app purchases https://t.co/TYCpYbwaM2 pic.twitter.com/qV3veuG5zo
— theapplepost.com (@theapplepost) September 10, 2021