Epic Games Wins Legal Battle Against Apple, Fortnite iOS Return Likely
Epic Games has won a significant legal battle against Apple. A court ruled Apple willfully violated a 2021 injunction regarding anti-competitive app store pricing. This victory could lead to Fortnite's return to the U.S. iOS App Store as early as next week.
Apple Found in Willful Violation
Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers ruled that Apple willfully violated the 2021 injunction that prevented the company from imposing anti-competitive pricing practices. The injunction stemmed from a previous lawsuit where Apple was ordered to allow developers to direct users to external websites for purchases, bypassing Apple's fees. Apple failed to comply.
Judge Rogers stated, "That it thought this Court would tolerate such insubordination was a gross miscalculation." She referred the case to the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of California for potential criminal contempt proceedings.
Fortnite Poised for iOS Comeback
Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney announced on X (formerly Twitter) that Fortnite could return to the U.S. App Store next week. Sweeney also proposed that if Apple extends the court's ruling globally, Epic Games would return Fortnite worldwide and drop all related litigation.
Other Tech Companies Celebrate Ruling
The ruling has been praised by other tech companies affected by Apple's policies. Spotify spokesperson Jeanne Moran called it a "victory for developers everywhere" and stated that Spotify will quickly update its app to improve the user experience.
Apple has stated it "strongly disagrees" with the decision and plans to appeal.
