Apple originally saw the judge’s ruling as a victory
Epic Games had its popular Fortnite game kicked out of the App Store when the app started to promote Epic’s own in-house payment platform. Going through Epic instead of Apple would save Fortnite players some money on the purchase of in-game currency. That’s because without Apple taking its cut, the developer could charge less for in-app purchases.
Epic tried to inform Fortnite players about its own in-app payment system
Epic claimed that Apple was a monopolist for forcing developers to use its payment system only with the threat of being kicked out of the App Store hanging over their heads. In addition, Epic had asked the court to force Apple to install Epic’s app store on the iPhone. The judge denied that request and Apple saw the decision as a win with its general counsel Kate Adams saying, “We are very pleased with the court’s ruling and we consider this a huge win for Apple.”
Apple’s lock on processing in-app payments made by consumers has been a bone of contention for app developers for years. Some apps, including Netflix, refuse to allow new subscribers to sign up using the App Store. Ironically, those signing up for the new Netflix gaming app can subscribe via the App Store since Netflix Games uses Apple’s in-app payment platform.
Apple is asking the court to rule on its request for a stay by December 8th, just one day before the injunction takes effect
The court filing indicates how down-to-the-wire Apple is playing this. It isn’t clear what options Apple has if the court doesn’t return a decision in time on December 8th. If Apple fails to get a stay, it still has the appeal it filed looking to overturn the original decision. But on December 9th, without a stay, Apple might be forced to allow developers to direct their subscribers to payment system outside the App Store to process in-app purchases.
