We are now in another chapter of the legal battle between the two companies, so the company led by Tim Sweeney and Tim Cook will end up in court again.

Epic Games is now suing Apple for a different reason. According to Epic, Apple is not complying with a court ruling from 2021. That ruling was about allowing developers to bypass the App Store’s 30% profit margin with links through which users could pay. So Apple’s direct payment mechanism does not have to apply. This was the original reason Epic went after Apple, because Fortnite introduced a direct payment method that bypassed Apple and Google’s 30% profit margin on microtransactions.

Three years ago, the judge who issued the ruling said that Apple’s unilateral, closed payment policy violated California’s unfair competition law. Epic has sued Apple again because the Cupertino-based tech company is not complying with the ruling, as developers still have to pay for microtransactions that don’t even happen through the App Store, so it sounds like a pretty anti-competitive move on Apple’s part. Apple has said that they have done what they are obligated to do, and they still allow developers to use alternative payment methods and communicate with customers through contact points that consumers have voluntarily acquired through in-app account registration.

Epic Games is no longer just standing up for what is right for them, they are standing up for the industry. What Epic has done is a brave move, but it is a double-edged sword, i.e. it could go badly wrong if Apple is found in favor, and who knows what penalty the court might impose on Epic Games in this case (since we don’t see any financial implications other than legal costs).

So, once again we can make popcorn, because the dispute between Epic Games and Apple has been going on for several years.

Source: WCCFTech, Engadget