(Bloomberg) – Apple didn’t properly follow a court order to open its App Store to allow external payment options, a judge says, weeks after efforts to resist the changes hit a snag. stated.
Apple announced on January 16 that all third-party products sold in the US would be sold after the US Supreme Court refused to step into the three-year feud between the developer of the popular game “Fortnite” and the tech giant. The company has announced that it will allow apps to include links to external sites. The developer’s website that processes payments for in-app purchases. Apple has implemented this, but it still requires developers to refund up to a 27% fee to the company on non-App Store purchases.
Epic said in Tuesday’s filing that it “refutes Apple’s compliance” with the previously ordered changes and will explain the “noncompliance” in future filings.
Apple did not respond to a request for comment.
The high court’s decision left in place a 2023 appeals court ruling that Apple’s business model did not violate federal antitrust laws, but it left in place a 2023 appeals court ruling that said Apple’s business model did not violate federal antitrust laws, but it also left in place a 2023 appeals court ruling that said Apple’s business model did not violate federal antitrust laws. found that the company violated California’s unfair competition law by restricting its ability to communicate information.
Apple has been changing the way it operates its App Store to address developer concerns since Epic sued the company in 2020. The controversy began after Apple banned the Fortnite game from the App Store because Epic created a workaround that would pay customers a 30% fee for ‘in-app purchases’.
Epic CEO Tim Sweeney complained about Apple’s “malicious ‘compliance'” in a Jan. 16 post on social network X.
Meanwhile, the iPhone maker is seeking a court order requiring Epic to reimburse it for $73 million in legal fees for violating its developer agreement.
–With assistance from Mark Gurman.
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