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“ Denial is a river that flows through Cupertino ! , ” said Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney , a infamous Apple critic who also sued the tech giant for anticompetitive pattern , in a post on XTC , weighing in on today ’s news of the European Commission’shistoric € 1.84 billion fineagainst the iPhone maker . The EC ruling , which favors Spotify , hinges on Apple ’s approach to its anti - steering clause that foreclose Spotify and other music streamers from direct exploiter to their websites .
look up to Apple ’s reaction to the EC fine , which the society say it would invoke , Sweeney writes , “ Apple ’s acid griping simply describes their historic , pre - monopoly human relationship with app makers : the machine put up great genus Apis , and apps offer great feature to attract substance abuser . Everyone profits together . ”
In other words , Apple ’s App Store was in the first place seen as a platform that could help the technical school giant star sell more iPhones , as having easy memory access to democratic apps , like Facebook — an former App Store spouse — would be a plus for consumers . But over the old age , as Apple grew its services business , it pushed app developer to use in - app purchases to monetise their apps by room of cut-rate sale of virtual commodity and subscriptions . As a result , Apple ’s interest in hold back its slice of these revenues strengthened . Though it made some concessions for small business developers and others , it ensure no role model for the App Store that does n’t ask a mission structure .
Although Apple did implement anexception to its rules in 2022for “ reader ” apps , like medicine streamers , it still mostly controls the process by dictate who can put on for an exception , when it ’s accord , how the link should appear , how they can be advertised in the app and more .
Denial is a river that flow through Cupertino ! Apple ’s bitter colic but depict their historical , pre - monopoly kinship with app makers : the twist provides gravid genus Apis , and apps provide great features to attract users . Everyone profits together.https://t.co/qkzS4N5z9N
— Tim Sweeney ( @TimSweeneyEpic)March 4 , 2024
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Sweeney , undoubtedly , was thrilled with the EU ’s decision , given his own company ’s competitiveness against the technical school monster over similar topic .
Epic Games has long wanted a way to administer its popular game , Fortnite , to iOS user without have to go through the App Store or give Apple a delegacy on any in - app purchases . The secret plan God Almighty sued both Apple and Google for antimonopoly issues regarding how their app stores are operate . Itwon its battle with Google , which was tried by a jury , but mostly recede its casing against Appleafter the Supreme Court declinedto weigh in on the lower court ’s ruling that found Apple was not a monopoly .
However , Epic Games acquire on one count in its tourist court battle with Apple , as the dominion court of justice jurist in Northern California dominate that app developers should be able-bodied to point their exploiter to links or buttons that tie in to their web site , where customer could hear about other way to make up beyond Apple ’s in - app purchase .
As required by the court , Apple said it would permit such linkup , but settle it would still take a 27 % commission on those sales — a move that Epic knight a case of “ malicious abidance ” and one which Sweeney vowed to fight .
EU finding of lawbreaking by Apple . In America , the matter is coming before the District Court in Epic v Apple as Epic challenges Apple ’s malicious complaisance with the royal court ’s anti - steering injunction.https://t.co/bSshoFOuFi
Today , he suggest that the EC ’s conclusion has relevancy to his example in the U.S. , as it describes “ lawbreaking by Apple . ”
“ In America , the egress is coming before the District Court in Epic v Apple as Epic challenges Apple ’s malicious abidance with the motor hotel ’s anti - steering injunction,”Sweeney save .
He also retweeted a Business Insider objet d’art by Peter Kafka which points outthat the $ 2 billion fine is really an $ 80 billion problem , as investor ’ reaction to the EU ’s determination tanked Apple ’s breed by as much as 3 % in the first few hour of trading , equating to some $ 80 billion in market cap .
Spotify also reacted to the finetoday foretell it a “ muscular message ” but monish that Apple has a history of parry regularisation mean to guard it accountable . Sweeney also retweeted Spotify CEO Daniel Ek ’s video subject matter about the fine and his care that Apple will incur a way to void full compliance .
Apple ticket € 1.84BN in EU over anti - steering on iOS music cyclosis market
Spotify call in Apple ’s € 1.84B antimonopoly fine a ‘ powerful substance , ’ but cautions that the next step subject
The Epic - Apple antitrust saga is n’t over yet
