Apple Failed to Comply With App Store Court Order, Epic Tells Judge

Apple has failed to properly comply with a court order that requires non-App Store purchasing options be made available to third-party developers, Epic Games has told a judge (via Bloomberg).

iOS App Store General Feature JoeBlue
The Supreme Court earlier this month declined to hear separate requests from both Apple and ‌‌Epic Games‌‌ in their three-year-long lawsuit against each other regarding App Store rules. As a result, Apple is able to continue to disallow third-party payment processing within apps, but it must allow developers to direct customers to a non-App Store purchasing option for digital goods.

Apple has since made changes to its U.S. App Store policies, and now allows apps to feature a single link to a developer website that leads to an in-app purchase alternative. However, Apple plans to continue to collect a 12 to 27 percent commission on content bought this way. The commission applies to transactions for digital goods and services that take place on a developers website within seven days after a user taps through an External Purchase Link to an external website.

Epic likely wishes to contest this aspect of the change in particular, as well as Apple's implementation of them. ‌Epic Games‌‌ CEO Tim Sweeney on January 16 took to X (formerly Twitter) to criticize the‌ changes as soon as they were announced, and said that it would dispute Apple's "bad-faith compliance plan" in District Court.


According to Bloomberg, Epic said in a filing Tuesday that it "disputes Apple's compliance" with previously ordered changes and said it will explain the "non-compliance" in a forthcoming filing.

Meanwhile, Apple wants ‌Epic Games‌ to pay $73.4 million in legal fees after Apple won the antitrust case brought against it by the North Carolinian games maker. Apple bases the claim on Epic's original violation of its developer agreement, when its Fortnite game offered an in-app payment alternative on the ‌‌App Store‌‌. Epic previously accepted that it would owe damages if it lost its antitrust claims against Apple. Now that it has, Apple has issued the bill.

Popular Stories

sonny iphone 16 pro colors

All Four iPhone 16 Pro Colors Revealed in New Image

Friday August 16, 2024 4:14 am PDT by
Leaker Sonny Dickson is back today with a new dummy unit image showing all four iPhone 16 Pro color variants, including the rose gold or "bronze" unit that replaces Blue Titanium in the existing iPhone 15 Pro models. The iPhone 16 Pro models are expected to come in black, white or silver, gray or "Natural Titanium," and a rose or rose gold color replacing Blue Titanium, according to Apple...
iPhone 16 Pro Right Side Feature

The iPhone 16 is Getting a New Button: Here's What It Can Do

Tuesday August 13, 2024 4:01 pm PDT by
Multiple rumors have suggested that the iPhone 16 models are going to have an all-new button that's designed to make it easier to capture photos when the devices are held in landscape mode. Apple calls the button the Capture Button internally, and it is going to be one of the most advanced buttons that's been introduced to date with support for multiple gestures and the ability to respond to ...
iPhone 16 Pro Sizes Feature

iPhone 16 Launch Is Just One Month Out – Here's Everything We Know

Saturday August 10, 2024 5:00 am PDT by
Apple typically releases its new iPhone series in the fall, and a possible September 10 announcement date has been floated this year, which means we are just one month away from the launch of the iPhone 16. Like the iPhone 15 series, this year's lineup is expected to stick with four models – iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max – although there are plenty of design...
iPhone 16 Pro Sizes Feature

When Is the iPhone 16 Coming Out?

Wednesday August 14, 2024 6:20 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone 16 series is expected to debut in September 2024. This release follows Apple's trend of introducing new iPhone models annually in the fall. While the exact date has yet to be officially confirmed, the day of Tuesday, September 10 has been rumored as a possible announcement date, and September has traditionally been the month when Apple unveils its latest smartphone innovations. ...
maxresdefault

Apple Aiming to Launch Tabletop Robotic Home Device as Soon as 2026 With Pricing Around $1,000

Wednesday August 14, 2024 11:30 am PDT by
Apple is moving forward with its project to develop a tabletop robotic device, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. The device would feature a large iPad-like display mounted on a "thin robotic arm" that would allow the display to tilt and up and down and rotate a full 360º, and it would serve as a "smart home command center," a...
M4 Mac mini Silver Ortho Cooler

These New Macs Are Coming in 2024

Thursday August 15, 2024 4:34 pm PDT by
It's almost September, but Apple still has multiple new product launches planned for 2024. New iPhone 16 models and Apple Watches are coming in September, and we're also going to get at least three Mac updates with M4 chips this year, according to rumors. Here's what's on the horizon. MacBook Pro Apple plans to refresh both the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models, adding M4 chips. The ...
T Mobile Generic Feature Pink 1

United States Fines T-Mobile $60 Million for Failing to Prevent Unauthorized Access to Sensitive Customer Data

Thursday August 15, 2024 1:32 pm PDT by
T-Mobile was fined $60 million by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the US (CFIUS) for negligence surrounding data breaches, reports Reuters. CFIUS penalized T-Mobile for failing to prevent or disclose unauthorized access to sensitive customer data. When T-Mobile merged with Sprint, it signed a national security agreement with CFIUS, which is what led to the fine earlier this year....

Top Rated Comments

Timo_Existencia Avatar
7 months ago

Why should Apple be allowed to charge Epic for transactions made outside of the Apple ecosystem? It's not like Apple allows them to just go and use a different store to sell their "goods"! Also, what are they (devs) paying the 99 bucks for? The whole thing is kind of ridiculous. Apple needs App Developers and App Developers need Apple. Both are nothing without each other.
So you think Epic should be allowed to have their apps hosted on Apple servers, downloaded from Apple servers, available in the Apple App Store, using Apple API's and development tools...all for $99/year? Do you run a business?
Score: 46 Votes (Like | Disagree)
pmasters Avatar
7 months ago

I agree with Epic. I don’t understand how this is different ?
Epic just wants a way to have Apple subsidize their software and delivery and keep all of the profits for themselves. They are pissed they could not cut Apple out of the profit loop.
Score: 44 Votes (Like | Disagree)
m4mario Avatar
7 months ago
The change perfectly complies with the court order. The court said Apple has rights to collect fees for using its platforms for app development. The court also ordered Apple to provide a way to allow payment methods other the App Store payment mechanism. This change is perfect compliance.
Score: 37 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Timo_Existencia Avatar
7 months ago
Here's all you need to know about this case.

1) Epic wants something that Apple provides.
2) Epic doesn't want to pay for it.
3) Apple is a business.
Score: 34 Votes (Like | Disagree)
pmasters Avatar
7 months ago
Epic should go pound sand. Don't like? Create your own phone and OS and then run **** the way you want. Use another company's software for free and pocket profit is ********.
Score: 32 Votes (Like | Disagree)
darngooddesign Avatar
7 months ago
Epic, who have been losing an extremely expensive legal battle with Apple, don't like something they did. Shocking!!!!

LOL
Score: 29 Votes (Like | Disagree)