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A video game character with a weapon and a pickaxe in front of a wooden structure, next to an image of a judge's gavel with a technology company logo.
Epic defeats Apple: Justice prohibits the 27% commission charge | Camara La Derecha Diario
ARGENTINA

Epic Games beats Apple in court and celebrates the end of the 'Apple tax'

A judge ruled in favor of Epic Games and requires Apple to allow alternative payments outside the App Store

by

Editorial Team

Epic Games achieved a ruling against Apple in the long battle over commissions within the App Store.

Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers issued a resolution that shakes Apple's business model. According to the ruling, the company violated a previous 2021 court order that prohibited its anticompetitive practices.

Fortnite characters posing together in front of the game logo.
Epic Games achieved a ruling against Apple | La Derecha Diario

Apple imposed new barriers and 27% commissions on external purchases, contradicting the court's instructions. Now, it must allow alternative payment options without charging that surcharge.

An 80-page document with serious accusations

The judicial document states that Apple intentionally frustrated the objectives of the previous ruling. The case was elevated to the U.S. Attorney's Office, which could initiate a criminal case.

The text accuses Alex Roman, Apple's vice president of finance, of lying under oath. It also mentions that Tim Cook purposely ignored the demands of Justice.

White apple logo on the facade of a building.
Apple intentionally frustrated the objectives of the previous ruling | La Derecha Diario

Epic Games celebrates victory after nearly 5 years of battle

Tim Sweeney, CEO of Epic, celebrated the measure on social media. "The Apple tax is over," he wrote in a tweet, where he also highlighted that the 15% to 30% commissions are now "illegal in the United States and Europe."

The executive recalled that "4 years, 4 months, and 17 days" have passed since the conflict began. The battle started in 2020 when Epic sued Apple and Google for restricting external payments and applying policies that stifled competition.

Tim Sweeney announces the end of fees on web transactions and criticizes Apple's fees in the United States and Europe, mentioning their illegality under the Digital Markets Act, accompanied by an image of Epic Games challenging the App Store monopoly and Apple's blocking of Fortnite.
Tim Sweeney, CEO of Epic | La Derecha Diario

How does this impact the App Store and other stores?

The decision sets a precedent. Apple must modify its system so that developers can direct users to payment methods outside the App Store.

This may change the operation of other digital stores and encourages more studios to claim against abusive commissions in the mobile ecosystem.

Fortnite, the symbol of resistance against Apple

Since it stood against the App Store rules, Fortnite was removed from the platform. The conflict put Epic at the forefront of a struggle that challenges the entire tech world.

Fortnite characters posing in front of an orange background with the game logo.
Fortnite, the symbol of resistance against Apple | La Derecha Diario

Sweeney compared Apple and Google to "gangsters," and argued that their business model harms independent developers.

What could happen now with Apple?

The court ruling not only forces Apple to change its policy. It also leaves the door open to criminal sanctions if the Attorney's Office takes action.

Apple logo featuring the apple with a colorful design and black background.
What can happen now with Apple? | La Derecha Diario

Additionally, it reinforces the scope of laws like the Digital Markets Act in Europe, which seeks to prevent abuses of dominant position.

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