Apple has received a combined verdict issued by the federal judge in an anti-trust case which was being watched closely. The Court ruled that company must allow the developers to collect their payments directly from the users, but it stopped modifying the powerful app store’s role.
The smartphones from Apple constitutes most of the smartphone market of the US. The company reaches above 1billion users worldwide. Previously, all the transactions were to be processed by the apps downloaded by the users and the company used to take a cut of 30%. Additionally, the apps can only be downloaded through the app store which Apple refers to as “walled garden.”
Epic, a big company for video games also the maker of the very popular Fortnite had filed a suit against the above-mentioned company, i.e. Apple. Epic claimed that Apple used its dominating factor in a market so that it could take less fair advantages in the second market i.e. apps.
Epic versus Apple
Experts are considering the word that was issued the previous week is going to be a sign of victory for both Epic & Apple. However, according to the ruling, ramifications have been made for companies that were not even involved.
According to the rule of the U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers made last Friday, Epic could not succeed in proving Apple as a monopolist and thus the company now owes revenue commissions to Apple for back payment. It was also ruled that Apple has no right to restrict its developers from directing its customers towards payment methods that are alternative outside the Apple app store. The ruling made by the judge has immense implications for the antitrust suits that are going on inside the world of mobile gaming and the gaming industry in general.