In her latest ruling, Rogers ordered Apple to immediately stop collecting commissions on purchases made via those external links. Additionally, Apple must reimburse Epic Games for legal expenses tied to the contempt proceedings.
Apple Responds, Vows to Appeal
In a brief statement following the decision, Apple said:
“We strongly disagree with the decision. We will comply with the court’s order, and we will appeal.”
The company maintains that it has acted in good faith and that its policies are designed to protect user privacy and security.
Fortnite Game Maker Takes on Google: Epic Games Wants Open Play Store
Epic Games Celebrates Legal Win
Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney lauded the judge’s decision as a win for software developers across the globe.
“It’s a huge victory for developers,” he said on a conference call. “This forces Apple to compete. This is what we wanted all along.”
The long-running legal dispute began when Apple removed Fortnite from its App Store after Epic bypassed Apple’s 30% in-app purchase fee. While Apple prevailed on many antitrust claims, Epic’s success in challenging the commission structure and achieving this enforcement action is being hailed as a pivotal moment.
