Last month, Epic Games filed a stay of execution against Apple with a judge in California, US, claiming that Apple failed to comply with a court order issued in 2021. According to Epic Games' claims, Apple's App Store practices restrict competition and attempt to manage Apple's business operations to increase Epic's profitability. Apple appealed to the judge to reject this request.
The original restraining order issued by U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers required Apple to provide developers with the option to offer external payment methods. This would allow developers to avoid fees of up to 30 percent from the App Store and in-app purchases. But Apple enacted new App Store rules for developers in January, which require Apple's approval and a 12-27 percent commission on those transactions even though they include links to external websites.
According to Reuters, Epic claimed that Apple's efforts to accommodate were fraudulent, arguing that Apple made alternative payment options “commercially unviable.” In its new filing, Apple stated that the purpose of the ban decision was to make information about alternative purchasing options more easily accessible, and not to dictate the terms of access to Apple's platform, tools and technologies.
A response is expected from Epic Games to Apple's claims
This defense of Apple can be considered as a statement in response to Epic Games' previous claims. This situation marks a new phase of the ongoing legal struggle between both companies. Now all eyes are on how Epic Games will respond to these allegations.
This case has had widespread repercussions in the technology world. The dispute between Apple and Epic Games may also have significant consequences for other technology companies and application developers. This decision will be decisive for the future of the App Store and competitive conditions in digital markets.
Experts state that such legal struggles may have long-term effects on the technology sector. Changing Apple's policies may lead other platforms to develop similar policies. This could have a wide-ranging impact on app stores and digital content distribution.
As a result, this legal conflict between Apple and Epic Games seems to leave a significant mark in the world of technology and law. The court's decisions will shape regulations for digital marketing and application development and will likely set an example for other similar cases. Therefore, this case has become an issue that everyone in the technology world should follow carefully.