It's another day in the ongoing Epic vs Apple saga, which many of us thought had concluded long ago. Now, Apple might be compelled to eliminate the contentious 30% commission on alternative payment links outside the App Store. This development stems from a significant ruling in the Epic vs Apple case, initiated when Epic Games' CEO, Tim Sweeney, enabled direct in-app purchases for Fortnite, offering players substantial discounts.
What does this mean for consumers? Essentially, Apple has been decisively declared the loser in the original Epic vs Apple lawsuit. Previously, Apple was required to remove fees and limitations on external linking within the EU, but the US had been relatively favorable towards them. However, the latest ruling prohibits Apple from:
- Imposing fees on purchases made outside of apps.
- Restricting developers' placement or formatting of external links.
- Limiting the use of 'calls to action,' such as banners highlighting potential savings.
- Excluding certain apps or developers.
- Interfering with consumer choice through 'scare screens.'
- Using anything other than 'neutral messaging' to inform users they are navigating to a third-party site.
While Epic may have lost some battles, they've effectively won the war. Apple intends to appeal the decision, but reversing the judges' rulings seems unlikely.
With the Epic Games Store for mobile gaining traction on Android and iOS in the EU, and on Android in the US, it may only be a matter of time before the iOS App Store's dominance wanes.
