- A judge ruled that Apple made a “deliberate violation” of the ordinances made
- Apple must immediately modify its App Store rules
- It means that Fortnite could return imminently to the App Store
Apple and Fortnite The developer Epic Games has gone through a very public sputum in recent years, a large part of the disagreement centered on costs that Apple Applications Apple to execute on its platforms. Now, a judge has judged that Apple deliberately flouted an injunction ordered by the court – and this could lead to Fortnite Return radically to the App Store.
The court order in question said that Apple should authorize third-party developers to tell their users that they could obtain cheaper offers by buying applications on different websites or application stores-that is to say, going elsewhere than the official App Store.
However, the judge who chaired this case now declared that Apple has undertaken a “deliberate violation” of the order. Indeed, even if Apple allowed developers to create a link to external application stores, he nevertheless billed a commission on these purchases, and also kept a tight reduction on the way these out -of -site links could be formulated and presented.
The judge judged that it was a continuation of anti -competitive practices that the initial injunction sought to prohibit and told Apple to immediately change its Apps store practices.
Apple cannot now prevent developers from talking to users of external application stores, cannot dictate where external links are placed or how they are formulated and cannot invoice a commission on sales made outside of its own application store.
For its part, Apple told Macrumors that “we are strongly disagreed with the decision. We will comply with the court order and we will call. ” Obviously, this whole saga is far from over.
What does this mean for you?
The most interesting aspect of this case may be the way it could affect the game at the heart of all this: Fortnite. The mega-popular title has been prohibited from the App Store since Apple said that Epic Games was trying to circumvent the Apple commission. Soon, however, it could make a dramatic return.
This is because the CEO of Epic Games, Tim Sweeney, recently visited X to announce that Fortnite will come back to the “next week” App Store. At the same time, Sweeney announced a “peace proposal” that could end the dispute with Apple once and for all.
In Sweeney’s words, “If Apple extends the tribunal of the court of court worldwide, we will come back Fortnite to the App Store worldwide and abandon current and future disputes on the subject. »»
The initial decision was applied only to the American App Store, hence Sweeney’s suggestion that Apple should apply the new rules around the world. If Apple the fact, we could participate in a major upheaval of the App Store – with Fortnite pave the way.
