What just happened? Epic Games has for years been fighting against Apple's policies that require developers to pay the tech giant up to 30 percent of their revenues on every purchase made through the App Store. Now, Epic has found legal support from some of the biggest tech companies in the world, including Microsoft, Meta, Spotify, X (formerly Twitter), and Match Group.
The aforementioned companies have reportedly filed an amicus brief (via WSJ) in the Epic vs Apple case, stating that the latter was in "clear violation" of the court injunction forcing Apple to enable third-party payment options on iOS. According to their filing, Apple made it intentionally harder for iOS users to use cheaper means to pay for digital content.
Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney had earlier blasted Apple for what he claimed was the firm's "malicious compliance" with the requirements of the European Union's Digital Markets Act. According to Sweeney, Apple was forcing users to choose the "illegal" Apple App Store exclusivity or be saddled with anti-competitive junk fees on downloads and Apple taxes on payments processed by third-party platforms.
The bad blood between Apple and Epic Games started several years ago, when Epic complained that the Cupertino giant was allegedly violating US antitrust laws by requiring consumers to download apps exclusively through its App Store and charging developers up to 30 percent commissions on every transaction.
Epic finally sued Apple in 2020 after the tech giant removed Fortnite from the App Store in retaliation for Epic receiving payments through third-party payment processors. Apple was subsequently compelled to allow developers to accept payments through third-party channels following a ruling by the US District Court of the Northern District of California.
While the ruling was binding in the US, the EU's Digital Markets Act also forced the company to offer third-party payment options in Europe. Additionally, the DMA regulations stipulate that Apple must allow its customers in the EU to download apps from alternative digital stores. However, Apple has since announced that it will charge a 27 percent fee for app publishers processing payments through third-party platforms, leading to howls of protest from developers around the world.