How Apple managed to beat Epic Games in US antitrust case?

Manzana achieved an almost complete victory this Monday in the long litigation promoted by the video game developer Epic Gamesowner of the popular Fortnite, which accuses the technology company of violating US antitrust laws for its control over the App Store.

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The case originated in 2020, when Epic sued Apple for practices contrary to free competition after the iPhone maker withdrew its game from the app store in retaliation for offering, against its rules, a system to avoid the commission that the digital store charges developers.

After a trial, in 2021, a federal judge rejected that Apple had a monopoly with the App Storemaintained the controversial 30% commission that it charges developers and supported its right to offer only that application as a store in its products, among other things.

Apple owns 20% of global smartphone shipments but earns 80% of the industry’s profits.

Epic appealed the ruling and on April 24 the appeals court positioned itself mostly in favor of Applealthough it considered that it violates California regulations by prohibiting developers from redirecting their customers to payment systems outside of the App Store in order to avoid the 30% commission.

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“Today’s decision reaffirms Apple’s resounding victory in this case, with nine of the ten appeals decided in Apple’s favor.”, the company told The New York Times, suggesting that it could appeal the only point on which it has not been agreed.

Epic CEO Tim Sweeney opined on Twitter that Apple “has prevailed” in the appeals court, but claimed that it was because Epic had not made its arguments properly.

Fortnite on an Apple device. (AFP/)

Likewise, Sweeney considered a “positive decision“that Apple”release” to developers so they can transact with their customers on the web, bypassing the App Store, adding that it is “working on next steps”.

According to CNBC, a court has yet to decide whether Apple will be forced to allow links in its App Store that lead to third-party payment systems, and whether Epic Games will have to compensate Apple for litigation costs.

Source: Elcomercio