Epic Games Accuses Apple of Violating Court Injunction in App Store Dispute
In a recent development in the ongoing legal battle between Epic Games and Apple, Epic has accused Apple of violating a court injunction by imposing a 27 percent commission on purchases made outside the iOS App Store’s in-app payment system. The tech giants have been embroiled in a lawsuit since August 2020 when Epic Games sued Apple for monopolizing the iOS app distribution and in-app payment markets.
According to Epic, Apple is allegedly imposing prohibitions on developers that were found unlawful and enjoined by the court in September 2021. The court’s permanent injunction stated that Apple may not prevent app developers from including external links to alternate sales channels or communicating with customers through points of contact obtained voluntarily from customers through account registration within the app.
Epic argues that the 27 percent commission imposed by Apple on out-of-app purchases hinders the relief ordered by the court and affects the pricing of in-app purchases. Apple, however, claims it is complying with the 2021 injunction by allowing developers to include buttons or external links directing users to alternative purchasing mechanisms and does not limit developers’ ability to communicate with users about alternative purchasing methods.
Apple argues that the 27 percent commission complies with the injunction’s terms and is consistent with the court’s rationale for upholding other App Store policies. Epic, on the other hand, contends that Apple’s new policies make external links useless and prevent the open flow of information. Epic alleges that Apple is trying to prevent purchasing alternatives from constraining the fees it collects on digital goods and services.
The legal battle between Epic Games and Apple continues to unfold as both parties seek to defend their positions in the contentious dispute over the App Store’s policies and practices.
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