Epic Games has announced that it plans to appeal the judge’s decision from today’s Epic v. Apple case. Although today’s ruling says that Apple must relax rules around In-App Purchase and allow apps to link out to third-party payment systems, the judge ruled in Apple’s favor on all other counts.
For instance, Apple was not shown to have a monopoly nor must be compelled to allow third-party app stores, as Epic had hoped. In a statement, Apple described the decision as a “huge win for Apple”.
Apple spokesperson Kate Adams today said “We are very pleased with the court’s ruling and we consider this a huge win for Apple.”
As it stands right now, Apple is also not forced to restore Epic Game’s developer account or bring back Fortnite to the App Store. However, Apple has not said whether it will do or this not yet. In a tweet, Epic CEO Tim Sweeney said Fortnite will only return to iOS when Apple’s platform offers fair competition among in-app payment methods.
The ruling also requires that Epic compensate Apple for the money collected whilst the direct payments system was available.
Nevertheless, Apple stock fell significantly today as its highly-profitable commission from in-app purchases is now at risk. If enough customers opt to follow the web links to alternative payment systems, Apple will book significantly less revenue in its Services business segment.
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