Apple wins partial reversal of sanctions in Epic Games antitrust lawsuit
A U.S. appeals court partially reversed sanctions against Apple in its antitrust battle with Epic Games, but largely upheld the original injunction.Summary
Apple secured a partial victory in its antitrust lawsuit with Epic Games, as a U.S. appeals court modified a contempt order issued against the tech giant. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that parts of the April order, which required Apple to change its App Store practices to promote competition, were overly broad and needed adjustment. However, the court largely upheld the original injunction and the finding of contempt.
The dispute stemmed from Epic Games’ complaint that Apple’s 27% commission on purchases made outside the App Store, within seven days of clicking a link provided within an app, violated a previous court order. The appeals court now allows Apple to claim a “reasonable commission” on these transactions, offering a chance to revise its fee structure.
Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney praised the ruling, stating it would prevent Apple from imposing “giant junk fees” on developers and ultimately benefit both developers and consumers. Apple had argued the initial order expanded beyond the scope of the original injunction, a claim the appeals court partially addressed by allowing Apple to charge a commission on linked-out purchases with certain limitations.
(Source：Google News)