• Loading stock data...
Sunday, June 22, 2025
Law

Judge Rules Epic Can Dodge Apple’s In-App Purchase Fee

  • Epic Games can avoid Apple’s 30% developer fee on purchases within “Fortnite” and other games, after a judge’s ruling on Friday.
  • The judge said that the court did not determine if Apple holds a monopoly.
apple_logo
Design: Alex Brooks

The Epic Games v. Apple verdict is in, and the company with the world’s largest market cap will have to make changes to how they do business.

Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers ruled that while the court cannot determine if it represents a monopoly in the digital mobile gaming transactions market, Apple is engaging in anti-competitive behavior under California law.

The result? Apple is “permanently restrained and enjoined” from blocking developers’ attempts to direct users to external links, stores, and payment systems.

While Epic wasn’t able to prove its core claim that Apple holds a monopoly, it got what it ultimately wanted: It can now direct players of “Fortnite” and other games to its own software environment for in-app purchases, thus avoiding Apple’s 30% developer fee.

The court, which valued the mobile gaming market at $100 billion, provided insights into the Apple App Store that the company has been reluctant to share.

  • Gaming apps account for about 70% of App Store revenue — and the store, Judge Gonzalez Rogers wrote, earns “extraordinarily high profit margins.” 
  • App Store spending is lopsided: 80% of its users generate virtually no revenue. The gamers generating 70% of store revenue represent less than 10% of all App Store consumers.
  • Apple holds around 55% of app store market share, which, the judge determined, does not itself constitute antitrust: “Success is not illegal.”

However, Judge Gonzalez Rogers concluded that Apple’s “anti-steering provisions hide critical information from consumers and illegally stifle consumer choice … a nationwide remedy to eliminate those provisions is warranted.”

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

July 9, 2009; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Detroit Pistons president Joe Dumars during the press conference to introduce their new head coach John Kuester at their practice facility.

Joe Dumars Leaving NBA League Office to Run Pelicans

Joe Dumars was the architect of the 2004 champion Pistons.

Why Sports Leagues Are Betting Big on Streaming’s Reach

The NFL is going all-in on streaming for its Christmas Day games.
Mar 20, 2025; Providence, RI, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks forward Karter Knox (11) controls the ball against Kansas Jayhawks during the first half at Amica Mutual Pavilion.

Men’s March Madness Sets Opening-Day Viewership Record

CBS Sports and TNT Sports scored big with Arkansas–Kansas.

Callaway’s LIV Deal Shows How Much Golf Has Shifted

The company has signed a first-of-its-kind club contract.

Featured Today

Mar 15, 2025; Fort Worth, TX, USA; UAB Blazers forward Yaxel Lendeborg (3) dribbles the ball upcourt against the North Texas Mean Green during the first half at Dickies Arena

NIL Is Shrinking the Pool of NBA Draft Entrants

Agents are now advising many players to stay in school.
Apr 24, 2025; Green Bay, WI, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions defensive end Abdul Carter on the red carpet before the 2025 NFL Draft at Lambeau Field
June 21, 2025

‘More Is More’: The Elite Luxury Jewelers Decking Out Athletes

Meet the elite group of luxury designers crafting the biggest statement pieces.
Dec 5, 2024; Miami, FL, USA; FIFA president Gianni Infantino presents the FIFA Club World Cup trophy during the Club Word Cup draw at Telemundo Studios.
June 15, 2025

Revamped Club World Cup Is FIFA’s Billion-Dollar Gamble

The revamped soccer event debuts amid controversy.
Jun 10, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; United States head coach Mauricio Pochettino stands during the anthem against the Switzerland during the first at Geodis Park
June 14, 2025

Gold Cup Is Complicated for USMNT—but U.S. Soccer Has Its Eyes on..

Uncertain tournament success isn’t fazing forward-looking U.S. soccer.
Jun 8, 2025; Brooklyn, Michigan, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Denny Hamlin (11) celebrates with his team, holding up three fingers, one for each of his victories at Michigan International Speedway, after winning the FireKeepers Casino 400.

Judge Urges Michael Jordan, Co-Plaintiffs to Settle With NASCAR

Jordan’s racing team filed a co-suit in October alleging antitrust practices.
Feb 9, 2025; New Orleans, LA, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) against the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX at Ceasars Superdome.
June 17, 2025

Former Chiefs Employee Sues for Racial Discrimination

Ramzee Robinson says the Chiefs paid Black employees less than white ones.
Ippei Mizuhara
June 17, 2025

Ohtani’s Ex-Interpreter Ippei Mizuhara Reports to Prison After Delays

Mizuhara’s 57-month sentence was supposed to begin in March.
Sponsored

Game On: Portfolio Players Stories, Brought to You by E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley

Ted Leonsis unpacks basketball’s global rise, media rights, and portfolio ownership.
The BetMGM Sportsbook opened for business during the season opener between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Arizona Cardinals on the Great Lawn outside of State Farm Stadium.
June 17, 2025

18th-Century Law Fuels Legal Blitz on Sports Prediction Markets

Five new lawsuits accuse Kalshi, others of offering illegal sports betting.
Tennessee wide receiver Grant Frerking (0) drills during fall practice at Haslam Field in Knoxville, Tenn. on Friday, Aug. 6, 2021.
June 13, 2025

Ex-Tennessee Football Player, On3 Staffer Accused of Financial Scams

Grant Frerking parted ways with On3 amid “allegations of criminal misconduct.”
Antonio Brown
June 13, 2025

Antonio Brown Wanted for Attempted Murder After Shooting at Celebrity Boxing Event

Police said he fought and tried to shoot another man last month.
DraftKings
June 13, 2025

PrizePicks Sues Former Employee for Jumping to DraftKings

PrizePicks alleges its former social media director violated a noncompete.