Judge Ruled Mostly in Favor of Apple, Epic Won An Injunction

Epic won a resounding battle against Apple after the judge in the case between the two has issued a permanent injunction against Apple. The company is now required to allow App Store developers to direct users to other payment systems, which would let them bypass the 30 percent cut of in-app payments that Apple takes. Judge Gonzales Rogers ruled in Epic's favor on one count, per court documents posted by 9to5Mac. She determined that Apple violated California's Unfair Competition law, leading to the injunction, which is set to take effect in 90 days. Under the injunction, Apple is "permanently restrained and enjoined" from preventing developers to include in their apps and metadata "buttons, external links, or other calls to action that direct customers to purchasing mechanisms, in addition to In-App Purchasing." Apple also may not stop developers from "communicating with customers through points of contact obtained voluntarily from customers through account registration within the app." On every other count, Judge Gonzales Rogers ruled in Apple's favor, determining, among other things, that the App Store doesn't violate antitrust law. She also ruled against Epic in Apple's counterclaim for breach of contract. As such, Epic must pay Apple US$ 3.65 million. That's equivalent to 30 percent of the US$ 12.2 million Epic earned from Fortnite iOS players between August and October 2020 through the Epic Direct Payment system. Epic also has to pay Apple 30 percent of the revenue it received via that system between November 1st and today. "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 said in a statement. "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."