Epic Games CEO promises to ‘fight’ Apple over ‘absurd’ changes
What are the main issues between Apple and Epic Games?
The main issues between Apple and Epic Games revolve around Apple's revenue-sharing requirements in the App Store. Epic Games has been fighting against these requirements, claiming they are unfair and anti-competitive. In Europe, the new Digital Markets Act allowed Epic to launch its own Epic Games Store on iOS, but Apple rejected it twice, citing similarities to the App Store. The dispute continues as both companies fight over the design and control of their respective app stores.
Why did Epic file an antitrust lawsuit against Apple?
Epic filed an antitrust lawsuit against Apple in 2020 over the company's revenue-sharing requirements in the App Store. Epic argued that Apple's practice of taking a 30% cut of all in-app purchases was anti-competitive and monopolistic, and it sought to force Apple to allow alternative payment methods and app stores on iOS devices2.
What was the outcome of Epic's lawsuit against Apple?
Epic Games' lawsuit against Apple was largely defeated, as the court ruled that Apple did not have a monopoly in the relevant markets and did not violate antitrust laws. However, the court also ruled that Apple's anti-steering policies, which prohibited developers from directing users to alternative payment methods, were anti-competitive and violated California's Unfair Competition Law. As a result, Apple was ordered to allow developers to provide users with alternative payment options. Both Epic and Apple have filed appeals.