An Ongoing Battle: Apple vs. Epic Games

Apple and Epic Games have been engaged in a heated dispute over Apple’s app store practices. The conflict began in 2020 when Epic tried to bypass Apple’s 30% commission fee by offering discounted in-game currency for Fortnite on its own website. In response, Apple removed Fortnite from the App Store, leading to a prolonged legal battle between the two companies.

In April of this year, a California court ruled mostly in favor of Apple but ordered the company to allow developers to implement in-app purchases outside of the App Store. Both Apple and Epic appealed this decision, with Apple filing for an injunction last month to buy more time to prepare its case.

Epic also appealed against the injunction, but the Supreme Court denied its request to overrule the court of appeals’ decision. This means that Apple can now contest and possibly avoid the ruling from April.

The Reasoning Behind Apple’s Injunction

Apple argues that the court overreached by applying the ruling of one specific case to the entire App Store ecosystem. The company believes that this could harm consumers by limiting its ability to protect them from fraud, scams, malware, spyware, and objectionable content.

Apple’s Concerns About Loss of Profit and Rising Competition

Apple is understandably concerned about potential profit losses and the growing presence of alternative app stores. As more app developers turn to third-party platforms, Apple’s hardware sales are becoming less significant compared to its service revenue. However, Apple’s stubborn refusal to compromise and maintain the status quo has only pushed more developers away.