Despite the fact that the court ordered Apple to allow other forms of payment in App Store applications (even if only in the format of links / buttons), Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney was dissatisfied with the decision, unlike Apple management.
Recall that today, September 10, Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers (Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers) made the final decision in the proceedings between Epic Games and Apple.
She dismissed 9 out of 10 charges against Apple. However, I considered that the ban on placing links to alternative payment methods in the application itself is a manifestation of uncompetitive behavior, according to the state of California. So from December 9, iOS developers will be able to ask users to pay for content directly, bypassing the payment methods of the App Store.
This can be perceived as a victory for Epic Games, because formally the story just began with the fact that Apple removed Fortnite after it appeared calls to pay for content through the game’s website (by the way, it is now also possible to call). However, Sweeney doesn‘t think so.
The current decision is not a victory for either developers or users. Epic Games is fighting for fair competition between payment tools and app stores. CEO of Epic Games
Moreover, Sweeney said that iOS users should not wait for Fortnite in the near future.
Fortnite will return to the App Store only if Apple allows Epic Games' payment tools to compete on an equal footing with similar App Store solutions. CEO of Epic Games
As for Apple itself, it has not yet announced plans to challenge the court’s decision. However, the company also issued a statement:
Today, the court confirmed what everyone already knows: the App Store does not violate the antitrust law. As stated in court: success is not a matter of jurisdiction. Apple is facing serious competition in each of its businesses. And we believe that our users choose our products and services because they are the best in the world.
Also, the director of Apple’s legal department, Kate Adams, said that the company is very pleased with the court’s decision and perceives it as a great victory for Apple.