Apple has accused Epic Games of seeking a free ride as the games company asks a court to permit its apps to be sideloaded onto iPhones with no commission to the Cupertino company.
The accusation was made after an Australian court indicated it was likely to rule that Apple must permit sideloading – but with details yet to be decided …
A quick recap
Epic Games was thrown out of Apple’s App Store rules by introducing its own in-app payment system, bypassing Apple’s 30% commission – a blatant breach of Apple’s rules.
In the US, the two companies went to court and Apple mostly won – but the judge ruled that the company must allow developers to make in-app sales through their own channels without the iPhone maker taking a cut. Apple responded by declaring that it would continue to demand commission even on sales made outside the App Store. Epic returned to court to fight this, and the judge confirmed that Apple lied under oath, was flouting her ruling, and must comply. She’s even referred the matter for criminal investigation.
Fortnite did indeed return to the US App Store and quickly became the top free game, though with Apple vowing to continue the fight.
The battle continued in other countries, including Australia. Epic Games mostly won in that case, although Apple described the ruling as harmful. The court has not yet decided what remedies to order, and the two sides have been making their respective pitches for these.
Apple says Epic Games is seeking a free ride
While the court accepted that the App Store offers privacy and security benefits, it indicated that Apple was not entitled to block sideloading of apps should iPhone owners wish to do this. Epic Games is now asking the judge to require Apple to permit sideloading without any commission payable to the Cupertino company.
Apple says that this is inconsistent with the court’s finding that the company is entitled to charge developers for use of its intellectual property.
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