A California court has ruled that Apple cannot stop app developers from directing users to third-party payment options. That was part of the outcome after Fortnite-maker Epic Games took Apple to court on some of Apple’s app store policies, including the requirements that all apps must use Apple’s own in-app payment options. Apple picks about 30% of all payments as its commissions.
On Friday, Judge Yvonne Gonzalez-Rogers ruled that “the court cannot ultimately conclude that Apple is a monopolist”.
However she also issued a permanent injunction, stating that Apple could no longer prohibit developers linking to their own purchasing mechanisms.
For example, a movie-streaming service will now be able to tell customers to subscribe via its own website, without using Apple’s in-app purchasing mechanism.
Epic has also taken legal action against Google over its Play Store.
Apple’s closed payments system is hugely lucrative for the tech giant, although the company says it does not know exactly how much it makes.
Apple’s response to Judge’s ruling in Epic Case: pic.twitter.com/LeF4osdTQC
— Mark Gurman (@markgurman) September 10, 2021
While this can reduce profit from Apple’s walled garden of in-payments, Apple got out of the real main issue: monopolistic accusation. If the judge had agreed on that accusation, Apple would sweat because the service part of business will likely suffer if the App Store becomes broken.
For the in-payment, Epic Games and developers have been awarded a penalty as in football. But they have to score. Converting the spot kick is not given. Why? I am not sure if I am on the App Store, and someone shares a link where I will put my credit card to pay $9.99 that I will follow through. That I do that on the App Store should not be taken for granted.
Yet, you never know because young people are unique: they may like to click out and pay somewhere. May the best click WIN.
Court Bars Apple from Enforcing In-app Purchases in Epic Vs Apple Ruling
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The judgment may even be more beneficial here than over there, because the core Apple fans will never click to go outside Appstore, but for us here, we don’t even have many iPhone users who can pay via ApplePay, so any alternative payment link is a win for developers and companies here.
We are watching…