Epic Games' CEO Tim Sweeney has welcomed the latest ruling in Epic's long-standing antitrust dispute with Apple, stating that it "completely shuts down" the tech giant's ability to charge arbitrary fees for access to its app store. The three-judge Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals panel largely affirmed a previous order allowing developers to link to external payment options, which Sweeney described as "really awesome for all developers."
Sweeney believes that this ruling will pave the way for Apple to start charging developers only reasonable fees for purchases made in apps using outside payment links. The court has determined that Apple's current fee structure is excessive and constitutes "junk fees" that stifle competition.
For Sweeney, this development marks a significant victory for Epic Games and its game Fortnite. In 2021, Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers ruled that Apple failed to comply with her order allowing developers to link to external payment options, effectively giving the tech giant an unfair monopoly on app store transactions.
With the latest ruling, Epic's efforts to promote more competition in the digital marketplace have gained momentum. The company has been working tirelessly to provide its users with alternative payment methods, which ultimately led to Apple kicking Fortnite off its US App Store five years ago.
Now that the appeals court has intervened, Epic expects regulatory bodies around the world to take notice and block any attempts by Apple to continue collecting excessive fees from developers. Sweeney expressed his hope that Apple will eventually adopt a single worldwide policy that benefits all parties involved, rather than taking an overly restrictive stance on app store transactions.
In addition to its efforts against Apple, Epic Games has also recently resolved its dispute with Google over Fortnite's removal from the US Google Play Store. The company has announced plans to settle their lawsuit and restore access to the game globally, thanks in part to new leadership within the Android development team.
Overall, Tim Sweeney sees this latest development as a major breakthrough for Epic Games and the digital gaming industry at large. By promoting more transparency and fairness in app store transactions, he hopes to create a more level playing field for developers and users alike.
Sweeney believes that this ruling will pave the way for Apple to start charging developers only reasonable fees for purchases made in apps using outside payment links. The court has determined that Apple's current fee structure is excessive and constitutes "junk fees" that stifle competition.
For Sweeney, this development marks a significant victory for Epic Games and its game Fortnite. In 2021, Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers ruled that Apple failed to comply with her order allowing developers to link to external payment options, effectively giving the tech giant an unfair monopoly on app store transactions.
With the latest ruling, Epic's efforts to promote more competition in the digital marketplace have gained momentum. The company has been working tirelessly to provide its users with alternative payment methods, which ultimately led to Apple kicking Fortnite off its US App Store five years ago.
Now that the appeals court has intervened, Epic expects regulatory bodies around the world to take notice and block any attempts by Apple to continue collecting excessive fees from developers. Sweeney expressed his hope that Apple will eventually adopt a single worldwide policy that benefits all parties involved, rather than taking an overly restrictive stance on app store transactions.
In addition to its efforts against Apple, Epic Games has also recently resolved its dispute with Google over Fortnite's removal from the US Google Play Store. The company has announced plans to settle their lawsuit and restore access to the game globally, thanks in part to new leadership within the Android development team.
Overall, Tim Sweeney sees this latest development as a major breakthrough for Epic Games and the digital gaming industry at large. By promoting more transparency and fairness in app store transactions, he hopes to create a more level playing field for developers and users alike.