Epic Games Wins Against Apple: A Major Legal Victory

Fortnite's Potential Return to the U.S. iOS App Store

Epic Games has achieved a legal victory against Apple, potentially paving the way for Fortnite to be reinstated on the U.S. iOS App Store within the coming week.

Apple Found in Violation of Court Order

Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers determined that Apple was in deliberate non-compliance with a 2021 injunction. This injunction specifically prevented the company from enacting anti-competitive pricing practices.

While Apple prevailed on numerous points during the initial trial with Epic Games, a key ruling restricted the iPhone manufacturer from imposing fees on transactions completed outside of its app ecosystem.

Intentional Anticompetitive Behavior

The court found that Apple not only failed to adhere to the ruling, but did so intentionally. This was characterized as a deliberate attempt to establish new obstacles for competitors.

“The assumption that this Court would accept such defiance was a significant error in judgment. Furthermore, attempts to conceal the issue only exacerbated the situation. There will be no further opportunities for reconsideration,” stated Judge Rogers in her decision.

She also escalated the matter by referring it to the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of California for potential criminal contempt review.

Apple's Response and Epic's Offer

An Apple representative indicated the company intends to challenge the court’s decision, stating, “We vehemently disagree with this ruling. We will fulfill the court’s order and pursue an appeal.”

Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney announced on X (formerly Twitter) that his company plans to reintroduce Fortnite to the U.S. App Store as soon as next week.

Sweeney also proposed a broader agreement to Apple: “Should Apple broaden the court-mandated, frictionless, and Apple-tax-free framework globally, we will reinstate Fortnite to the App Store worldwide and cease all current and future litigation on this matter,” he posted.

Industry-Wide Implications

The ruling has been met with approval from other technology companies impacted by Apple’s policies.

Spotify spokesperson Jeanne Moran commented in a statement, “This significant court decision represents a win for developers across the board. Spotify will promptly submit an app update to Apple, improving the user experience for our customers in the United States.”

Here's a summary of the key points: