Summary:
In a recent antitrust case brought forth by Epic Games, Apple secured a victory as the US Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the policies of its App Store, reports Bloomberg.
The ruling supports a lower-court judge’s 2021 decision, which primarily dismissed Epic Games’ claims that Apple’s marketplace policies infringed upon federal law due to the prohibition of third-party app marketplaces on its operating system.
Epic Games, the creator of Fortnite, initially filed the lawsuit against Apple in 2020 after the tech giant removed the popular game from the App Store. This removal was a response to Epic Games implementing a workaround that bypassed Apple’s 30% fee on in-app purchases made by customers. Since the legal battle began, Apple has made several changes to the App Store’s operations in order to address developer concerns.
In a statement to TechCrunch, Apple said, “Today’s decision reaffirms Apple’s resounding victory in this case, with nine of ten claims having been decided in Apple’s favour. For the second time in two years, a federal court has ruled that Apple abides by antitrust laws at the state and federal levels.”
“The App Store continues to promote competition, drive innovation, and expand opportunity, and we’re proud of its profound contributions to both users and developers around the world. We respectfully disagree with the court’s ruling on the one remaining claim under state law and are considering further review,” added Apple.
Additionally, the appeals panel upheld a lower-court ruling in Epic’s favour on California state law claims. As the legal dispute continues, Apple’s recent victory reinforces the company’s control over its App Store policies and practices.
