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Epic Games ’ mega - pop Fortnite is promising a return to the U.S. iOS App Store next week aftera surprising rulingin a years - long legal battle with Apple .
The difference between Epic and Apple began in 2020 , when Appleremoved Epic Gamesfrom the iOS App Store . Because Apple select 30 % of all in - app purchases , Epic had introduce backing for lineal payments in Fortnite to go around Apple ’s fee . The following year , Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers ruled that Apple could not preclude developer like Epic from adding links for customers to buy digital goods outside of the Io ecosystem to avoid fork over the 30 % fee .
But well-nigh four class later , on Wednesday eve , the same judge said in a opinion that Apple was in “ willful usurpation ” of the enjoining that permit developers to advert customers to payment method that are n’t subject to Apple ’s fee .
“ That it thought this Court would digest such rebelliousness was a gross miscalculation . As always , the coverup made it bad . For this Court , there is no 2d bite at the apple , ” Rogers said .
NO fee on vane transactions . plot over for the Apple Tax . Apple ’s 15 - 30 % junk fees are now just as beat here in the United States of America as they are in Europe under the Digital Markets Act . Unlawful here , unlawful there.4 years 4 months 17 days.https://t.co/RucrsX7Z4Apic.twitter.com/3kSYnt5pcI
Even at the time of the 2021 opinion , Fortnite did not render to the iOS App Store . At the time , Epic CEO Tim Sweeneysaidthe app would retort when it could offer “ in - app defrayal in fair competition with Apple in - app defrayal , exit along the savings to consumer . ”
But after Rogers ’ unexpected ruling this week , Sweeney said that Fortnite will last be available again for iOS users in the US .
“ Apple ’s 15 - 30 % rubble fees are now just as dead here in the United States of America as they are in Europe under the Digital Markets Act . illegitimate here , illicit there , ” Sweeneywrote , noting that it had take four old age , four calendar month , and seventeen days to get to this point .
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However , Sweeney ispushingApple to offer the U.S. opinion worldwide before bringing Fortnite back to the App Store globally . That ’s something that Apple seems unlikely to do , given it ’s plan to appeal this opinion .
