by Juli Clover
Apple has no plans to allow Fortnite to return to the App Store in the near future, Apple's lawyers told Epic's lawyers this week. Further, Apple does not plan to consider requests for the reinstatement of the Epic Games developer account until the court's judgment is "final and nonappealable," a process that could span years.
Apple provided this information to Epic Games after Epic CEO Tim Sweeney emailed Apple's Phil Schiller and asked for the Epic Games developer account to be reinstated. Sweeney said that Epic would adhere to Apple's guidelines "whenever and wherever" products were released on Apple's platforms, but he went on to explain that Epic would only reinstate Fortnite if Apple adheres to the "plain language of the court order" and allows apps to "include buttons and external links."
As was outlined earlier this month, the judge overseeing the case ruled that Apple must allow developers to provide links to external payment methods alongside in-app purchases if developers want to do so. Apple has until December to implement the court's terms, and the company has not yet decided if it will appeal the decision, nor has it provided details on how the court's "metadata buttons, external links, or other calls to action" to direct purchase mechanisms will be interpreted and enacted.
Late last night, Apple informed Epic that Fortnite will be blacklisted from the Apple ecosystem until the exhaustion of all court appeals, which could be as long as a 5-year process. pic.twitter.com/QCD7wogJef— Tim Sweeney (@TimSweeneyEpic) September 22, 2021
Though Apple was ordered to change its "anti-steering" rules to allow apps to direct customers to other payment methods, the ruling was largely in Apple's favor and found that Apple is not a monopolist under federal or state antitrust laws. Epic, unhappy with this decision and appealed the ruling, prolonging the legal fight between the two companies. Apple too might appeal the judge's decision, but again, has not yet opted to do so.
Apple said that due to Tim Sweeney's public statements on the outcome of the lawsuit and Epic's "duplicitous conduct in the past," it has "exercised its discretion not to reinstate Epic's developer program account at this time." Apple is well within its rights to deny the reinstatement of the Epic Games developer account because the court decided that Epic breached its contract with Apple and Apple's termination of the account was "valid, lawful, and enforceable." Apple has no legal obligation to restore the Epic Games developer account.
Sweeney shared the letters between the two companies on Twitter and said that "Apple lied" when it previously said that it would welcome Epic's return to the App Store if it complied with the App Store rules, but Epic has demonstrated an unwillingness to comply with the App Store terms and Apple may be worried that Epic would just attempt to find another way to skirt the guidelines if the account is reinstated. Apple wants to wait out the appeals process before making a further decision on the matter.
Epic Games was also ordered to pay Apple $6 million, which is a 30 percent cut of the revenue that it collected from the Fortnite app using its illicit direct payment option. Epic paid the fee earlier this month.
Related Stories
Epic Games vs. Apple Trial Begins With Opening Remarks Underway
The first day of the bench trial between Fortnite creator Epic Games and Apple is officially underway, with the companies delivering opening remarks before District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers in a Northern California courtroom. The saga dates back to August 2020, when Apple removed Fortnite from the App Store after Epic Games introduced a direct payment option in the app for its in-game...
Epic Games Pays Apple $6 Million as Ordered by Court
Monday September 13, 2021 3:31 pm PDT by Juli Clover
Epic Games today paid Apple $6,000,000 in royalties, Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney said on Twitter. As part of the ruling in the ongoing Epic v. Apple legal battle, Epic was last week ordered by the court to pay 30 percent of the revenue that it collected from the Fortnite app using its illicit direct payment option. Back at the start of the dispute between Epic and Apple, Epic added a direct...
Epic Lost Trial Due to Flawed Argument, Not Legal Error, Apple Says in Appeals Filing
Thursday March 24, 2022 3:32 pm PDT by Juli Clover
Apple's legal battle with Epic Games is continuing on, and today, the Cupertino company filed an opening brief with the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Both Apple and Epic Games opted to appeal the original ruling in the Epic Games v. Apple case as neither company was satisfied with the outcome. Epic lost, while Apple was subject to App Store changes that are on hold pending ...
Epic Games v. Apple Trial Wraps Up, But We Likely Won't Know the Outcome for Months
Monday May 24, 2021 4:58 pm PDT by Juli Clover
The three week Epic Games v. Apple trial wrapped up today, with a series of debates that were held in lieu of traditional closing arguments. The wrap up follows Apple CEO Tim Cook's testimony last week, which saw him grilled by Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers on Apple's App Store policies. As outlined by Protocol, at the conclusion of the trial, Rogers aimed to get at the heart of the dispute...
Epic Games Began Planning Antitrust Lawsuit Against Apple Two Years Ago With 'Project Liberty'
Thursday April 8, 2021 12:01 am PDT by Juli Clover
Ahead of its upcoming bench trial against Epic Games, Apple today filed 500 pages of documents covering findings of fact and conclusions of law, which basically summarizes the information exchanged between Apple and Epic, presents the relevant facts to the judge, and argues for the logical conclusions that should be drawn when law is applied to the case. Apple sticks to many of the talking...
Popular Stories
iphone 12 fortnite case
iPhone 14 Pro Predicted to Start With Increased 256GB Storage Alongside Rumored Price Increase
Wednesday August 10, 2022 11:14 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
Earlier today, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claimed iPhone 14 Pro models will be more expensive than iPhone 13 Pro models. Kuo did not reveal exact pricing, but he said that the average selling price of all four iPhone 14 models will increase by about 15% overall. While higher prices would be disappointing for customers, it is possible the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max will offer increased...
Kuo: Apple to Increase Prices of iPhone 14 Pro Models
Wednesday August 10, 2022 8:22 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
Apple plans to increase the prices of iPhone 14 Pro models compared to iPhone 13 Pro models, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Kuo did not reveal exact pricing for the iPhone 14 Pro models. However, in a tweet today, he estimated that the average selling price of the iPhone 14 lineup as a whole will increase by about 15% compared to the iPhone 13 lineup. In the United States, the iPhone...
iOS 16 Beta 5: Battery Percentage Now Displayed in iPhone Status Bar
Monday August 8, 2022 10:43 am PDT by Juli Clover
With the fifth beta of iOS 16, Apple has updated the battery icon on iPhones with Face ID to display the specific battery percentage rather than just a visual representation of battery level. The new battery indicator is available on iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 models, with the exception of the 5.4-inch iPhone 12/13 mini. It is also available on the iPhone 11 Pro and Pro Max, XS and XS Max, and...
Here's Why the iPhone Battery Status Icon in iOS 16 Is So Controversial
Wednesday August 10, 2022 4:34 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
In the latest iOS 16 beta, Apple has updated the status bar battery icon on iPhones with Face ID to display the exact percentage remaining rather than just a visual representation of battery level, and while the change has been largely welcomed, some users are unhappy with the way it has been implemented. In iOS 15 and earlier, battery percent has not been present on iPhones that have...
iPhone 14 Is Just a Few Weeks Away: Three Tips to Prepare for the New iPhone
Wednesday August 10, 2022 4:08 am PDT by Sami Fathi
The launch of the new iPhone 14 is just a few weeks away, meaning millions of iPhone customers will soon upgrade their existing iPhone or perhaps get an iPhone for the first time. Exclusive MacRumors iPhone 14 Pro renders by graphic designer Ian Zelbo Whether upgrading from an older model or this is your first iPhone, we've rounded up a few tips to help you prepare for the next flagship...
Color Options for All iPhone 14 Models: Everything We Know
The iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro models are rumored to be available in a refreshed range of color options, including an all-new purple color. Most expectations about the iPhone 14 lineup's color options come from an unverified post on Chinese social media site Weibo earlier this year. Overall, the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro's selection of color options could look fairly similar to those of the ...