Epic Games Not Satisfied With Ruling in Case Against Apple, Files Appeal

Epic Games has filed an appeal against the ruling in its case against Apple, further prolonging the already year-long legal battle between the two companies.

app store blue banner epic 1
The ruling, announced on Friday, sided with Apple on nine out of the ten counts that ‌Epic Games‌ had presented against the company. Epic, from the start, had alleged that Apple is anti-competitive and that it should open up its devices to third-party app stores, third-party in-app payment methods, and more. The judge said that while the trial showed that Apple "is engaging in anticompetitive conduct under California’s competition laws," ‌Epic Games‌ failed to prove the company is an illegal monopolist or that it violates anti-trust laws.

The judge most notably ordered Apple not to prohibit developers from adding links to external websites for in-app purchases. A week before the ruling was announced, Apple revealed similar changes to App Store policy, but limited to just "reader" apps, such as Spotify, Netflix, and others. The judge's ruling requires that Apple extends that privilege to all ‌App Store‌ apps.

‌Epic Games‌' appeal, filed late on Sunday, doesn't provide specifics on what the game developer aims to appeal. Given the outcome of the ruling, however, it's likely it will reattempt to convince a judge that Apple should allow third-party app stores and "sideloading" on its devices, that Apple is a monopolist, and that the termination of its developer account was unlawful and that Fortnite should be reinstated onto the ‌App Store‌.

While ‌Epic Games‌ has filed its appeal, signaling its dissatisfaction with the ruling, Apple has called it a "resounding victory." Apple has not stated it plans to appeal the verdict, and per the current court order, the company has 90 days before it must allow all apps to link to external websites for in-app purchases.

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Top Rated Comments

k2k koos Avatar
58 months ago
I said it before, and will say it again: I still think all these App developers that are complaining are getting it wrong. If I have a product to sell, and I want to sell it in a certain store, then they are entitled to make a profit on my products. The mechanism is slightly different, be it that I might sell it to the store, the store slaps on a 30% profit margin and sells it to the consumer. In the App store case, I hand my product to the store, they sell it for the full consumer price, retain 30% and give the rest to me. Same difference. No where in the world can I demand that the store uses a different payment system or that customer inside that store pay me direct, it just doesn't happen and it's total nonsense. if Epic wants to sell their product elsewhere, then they can go ahead and do so, but if they want to sell it through Apple's store, then comply with their rules. Simple.
Score: 75 Votes (Like | Disagree)
KENPHOTO Avatar
58 months ago

GO FOR IT!!!!!!

I'm Tired of the APPLE closed GARDEN and GREEDY MONEY MAKER SYSTEM!!!!!!!
If you are tired of the Apple Walled Garden, go buy and Android phone. Tim Cook isn't holding a gun to your head making you stay on iOS.
Score: 42 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Serban55 Avatar
58 months ago
Of course Epic is not Satisfied...big EGO
Score: 34 Votes (Like | Disagree)
NorthernSkyLights Avatar
58 months ago

BIG EGO, like i said...they should make their own OS with their own store, they are allowed and not breaking any law...but they, instead like to cry and do nothing by their own. they want to be their way. When you have big EGO, you will start to lose even more
Frank Sinatra - My Way
Android open source. Epic can go and bake there own OS and make there own App Store by modding Android to there liking.
Score: 31 Votes (Like | Disagree)
djcerla Avatar
58 months ago
File stupid lawsuits, win stupid prizes.

Booted from the App Store, legal fees and a fine to pay.
Score: 31 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ian87w Avatar
58 months ago

Of course Epic is not Satisfied...big EGO
Epic is not satisfied because their goal is to have alternate app store (their own) on iOS. The 3rd party payment stuff is just an excuse to shoehorn the notion of Apple platform being "anti-competitive."
Score: 28 Votes (Like | Disagree)