Epic Games has secured a major legal victory in Australia against Apple and Google’s app store policies. On Tuesday, the Federal Court of Australia ruled that both companies engaged in anti-competitive conduct by using their dominant positions in the app distribution market to limit competition.
While Justice Jonathan Beach agreed that Apple and Google’s practices restricted competition, he dismissed Epic’s claim that the companies had engaged in “unconscionable conduct.”
Epic has been challenging Apple and Google’s in-app purchase fee structures in courts worldwide. Earlier this year, the company scored a significant win in the United States against Apple, leading to Fortnite’s return to the U.S. App Store after a five-year absence.
Following the Australian decision, Epic CEO Tim Sweeney announced that the Epic Games Store and Fortnite would soon return in Australia through Epic’s own platform.
Apple and Google Respond
Google issued a statement saying it welcomed the court’s rejection of Epic’s demand that Google host third-party app stores inside Google Play. The company also defended its security measures but disagreed with the court’s characterization of its billing policies and certain past partnerships.
Apple, meanwhile, maintained that its app store remains the safest way for users to download apps, but it disagreed with some of the court’s findings in Epic’s favor.
What The Author Thinks
This decision adds momentum to Epic’s campaign to loosen Apple and Google’s control over app distribution. If similar rulings continue around the world, the long-standing 30% app store commission model may finally face real competition, giving developers more freedom and potentially lowering costs for users.
Featured image credit: Wikimedia Commons
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