Epic Games is stepping up its legal efforts to get its popular game, Fortnite, back into Apple’s App Store. In a new court filing, Epic is asking Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers to order Apple to “accept any compliant version of Fortnite onto the U.S. storefront of the App Store.”
This move comes after a prolonged legal battle between Epic and Apple over Apple’s App Store policies, especially regarding the commission fees Apple charges for in-app purchases.
Epic scored a significant legal victory last month when Judge Gonzalez Rogers ruled that Apple had violated an injunction regarding anti-competitive pricing. The ruling seemed to pave the way for Fortnite’s return to the App Store and hinted at allowing developers to offer alternative payment methods within apps.
However, Apple has stated it will appeal the ruling. In the meantime, Epic claims Apple is blocking Fortnite in the U.S. App Store and preventing its release on the Epic Games Store in Europe. Epic wrote, “Sadly, Fortnite on iOS will be offline worldwide until Apple unblocks it.”
Apple disagrees with Epic’s claims, especially the suggestion that Fortnite is being blocked outside the United States. Instead, Apple stated that it had asked Epic Sweden to submit an update for Fortnite that did not include the U.S. storefront in order to avoid affecting the availability of the game in other regions.
Why is Apple Blocking Fortnite in the U.S.?
Epic is pushing back, arguing that Apple is denying it the opportunity to take advantage of the pro-competitive rules that it helped introduce and is “punishing” Epic by keeping it out of the very market it has fought to open. Epic claims Apple’s actions are a message to other developers not to challenge Apple’s App Store practices.
Apple’s decision to delay Fortnite’s approval in the U.S. comes after a letter from Mark A. Perry, an attorney representing Apple, told Epic’s legal team that Apple would not take action on the app submission until the Ninth Circuit ruled on Apple’s request for a partial stay of the new injunction.
Author’s Opinion
Epic’s continued battle with Apple shines a light on the ongoing struggle between developers and platform holders for control over app stores. The message Apple is sending may discourage other developers from challenging the status quo, but if Epic succeeds, it could open the door for fairer practices in the app store ecosystem. It’s a complicated issue, but ultimately, the outcome will have significant implications for how developers and tech giants navigate their power dynamics in the future.
Featured image credit: FMT
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