Epic Games vs. Apple: The Saga Continues…
Yeah, I think we’re both shocked to find out that #FreeFortnite is still a thing since it started in August 2020, but here we are!
It all comes down to this…
On May 3, 2021, Epic Games went to Zoom court (…yes, apparently that exists) against Apple continuing their fight to end the “Apple Tax” on video game apps and granting developers permission to process their own payments, bypassing Apple’s In-App Purchase (IAP) system. This could be one of the biggest events in Apple history and maybe even the entire mobile industry if Epic Games were to win this lawsuit and get Apple to rethink their App Store.
A brief trip down memory lane
If developers want to monetize their apps in the Apple App Store, they’re forced to use the IAP system. This system allows Apple users to pay with their face or fingerprint and — most importantly — keeps the App Store in control of the money as it’s being paid. This allows Apple to refund the money to the consumer if the developer were to do something scummy. It’s also a lot more secure than other payment methods and with Apple, security is their top priority. The issue with IAP is that — unless you’re a service like Uber — developers are charged up to 30% of their royalties and are not allowed to use an alternative. Spotify said that they’re not even allowed to tell people that they can purchase Spotify Premium on their website. Spotify also pointed out several other issues they encountered that they believed to be unfair and built an entire website to tell the world about it. This became so big that Apple responded to Spotify’s allegations claiming that those measures are all in place for security and they want to make sure anyone who buys anything on iOS is safe and secure. That preceded this episode, until…
Nineteen-Eighty Fortnite
Epic Games added a trojan horse virus to Fortnite, one of their top-selling games and activated it in August, bypassing Google and Apple’s IAP systems and allowing everyone the choice to buy directly from Epic Games. In response, Apple removed Fortnite from the App Store, but that’s exactly what Epic Games was waiting for. Literally, just hours later, Epic Games filed a lawsuit against Apple and Google for monopolistic tactics in the mobile industry and began “Apple v. Fortnite”.
On May 3, 2021, the trials began (and got zoombombed but we’re not going to talk about that), and the real fight begins.
Pordcarst
On this episode of Pordcarst, we’ll be going deep into the history of this legal battle and will be debating — who is right?
