Apple will not be forced to reinstate Fortnite on App Store. Judge Yvonne Gonzales Rogers has refused Epic Games’ preliminary injunction against Apple that required the iPhone maker to take back Fortnite on App Store. Although the judge has granted an injunction that would keep Apple from reacting against Epic Games owned Unreal Engine.
Apple not forced to reinstate Fortnite on App Store but banned from reacting against Unreal Engine
This means that Epic Games is banned from releasing new games on iOS and also cannot distribute Fortnite on the App Store until it removes its in-app payment mechanism. Rogers suggested both parties of a jury trial as early as next July. Both Apple and Epic have said that they would prefer the case decided by the judge. Judge Roger’s decision will prevent Apple from removing Epic’s developer tools that could potentially harm its business.
On the court ruling, an Epic spokesperson said that it is grateful that Apple is banned from reacting against Unreal Engine and they would continue game development as the court litigation continues. The spokesperson also stated that Epic will continue to develop for Mac and iOS under the court’s protection and look at all avenues to end Apple’s anti-competitive behavior.
Judge Rogers says standard 30 percent cut common in the industry
In September, Apple and Epic Games stood against each other in federal court. The Fortnite developer’s antitrust case against Apple was argued before Judge Rogers for a second time since the filing of the lawsuit in August. As per reports, Judge Rogers told off Epic Games for what she thought was dishonest behavior that potentially proves of a security risk for the iOS platform.
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She said that what Epic did was a security issue and also brought up the fact that standard 30 percent cuts are very common in the game industry. Companies like Microsoft, Nintendo, and Sony have also implemented similar rules. She suggested that the case should go for a jury trial with a time frame of next summer. She said that it is important to understand what real people think about this security issue.
“Coalition for App Fairness” group formed to protect the fundamental rights of creators
Judge Rogers feels that the likelihood of numerous appeals, in this case, is high with appellate courts preferring to stick by jury decision, when appealed. The legal fight between Apple and Epic has been instrumental in the potential worsening of relations between third party developers and Apple. Many developers are using this situation to complain of unfairness and also join Epic in its protest against Apple’s policies.
Tim Sweeney, CEO of Epic Games announced the creation of a “Coalition for App Fairness” with companies like Spotify, Tile, and Match Group to protect the fundamental rights of creators that build apps and interact directly with customers.