2025-04-30T23:04:27Z

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In a significant recent development in the ongoing legal battle between Epic Games and Apple, Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers has made a ruling that impacts the way Apple handles in-app purchases. Effective immediately, Apple is prohibited from collecting fees on transactions made outside of its apps. This ruling also restricts Apple from obstructing developers in guiding users towards external purchasing options, which Epic Games argues is a major step towards fairer practices in the app marketplace.

The ruling arises from Epic Games' extensive legal dispute with Apple, marking a pivotal moment in the case. Judge Gonzalez Rogers noted that Apple had willfully neglected to adhere to her earlier injunction issued in 2021. She expressed her frustration, stating, That [Apple] thought this Court would tolerate such insubordination was a gross miscalculation. Given the severity of Apple's non-compliance, the judge has referred the matter to the U.S. Attorney for potential criminal contempt proceedings, highlighting the gravity of the situation.

Under the terms of the recent ruling, several key restrictions have been placed on Apple. The company is no longer allowed to impose any commission or fee on purchases made outside of its apps. Furthermore, Apple cannot limit developers in how they style, format, or place links that direct users to make purchases externally. Apple is also prohibited from blocking or restricting the use of buttons or other calls-to-action that facilitate these external transactions. Additionally, Apple cannot interfere with a consumer's choice to exit the app to make purchases elsewhere, except for providing a neutral notification regarding their redirection to a third-party site.

In response to the court's decision, Apples senior director of corporate communications, Olivia Dalton, issued a statement expressing the company's strong disagreement with the ruling. She stated, We strongly disagree with the decision. We will comply with the courts order and we will appeal. This suggests that Apple is prepared to contest the ruling in higher courts, indicating the dispute may not be resolved soon.

Tim Sweeney, the CEO of Epic Games, has declared that the company plans to reintroduce its popular game, Fortnite, to the U.S. App Store within the upcoming week following this ruling. Sweeney has also proposed a peace proposal, suggesting that if Apple were to extend this newly established frameworkfree from fees and restrictionson a global scale, Epic would not only bring Fortnite back to the App Store but would also drop any current and future litigation on this matter.

Historically, Apple has taken a substantial cut, typically around 30 percent, from in-app purchases. The injunction from 2021 compelled Apple to allow developers to point users to alternative payment methods. However, Apple responded by implementing a policy that required developers to pay a 27 percent commission on those purchases, drawing criticism from numerous companies, including Epic Games.

Judge Gonzalez Rogers highlighted that Apple has been attempting to maintain a lucrative revenue stream, worth billions, while openly defying the Court's prior injunction. She mentioned that within Apple, Phil Schiller, who oversees the App Store, had advocated for compliance with the injunction, but CEO Tim Cook made a different choice, influenced by CFO Luca Maestris arguments to maintain the status quo.

As this legal saga continues to unfold, it raises larger questions about the power dynamics between app developers and platform holders, particularly as the industry navigates the implications of this ruling.

Update as of April 30th: A statement from Apple has been added.