A federal judge in California, Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, ruled that Apple violated a court order designed to foster competition in its App Store, prompting a referral to federal prosecutors for a criminal contempt investigation. This decision stems from an antitrust lawsuit initiated by Epic Games, the creator of “Fortnite.” The judge stated that Apple’s actions against competition are intolerable and emphasized that her injunction was not open to negotiation.
In her ruling, which spanned 80 pages, Gonzalez Rogers noted that Apple’s compliance efforts included misleading statements made by Alex Roman, the company’s vice president of finance. Apple expressed strong disagreement with the ruling, pledging to comply and appealing the decision.
Epic Games’ CEO, Tim Sweeney, hailed the ruling as a vital victory for both developers and consumers, arguing that it compels Apple to allow other payment services. He announced intentions to reinstate Fortnite in the App Store soon, following its removal in 2020 when Epic allowed users to bypass Apple’s payment system.
Gonzalez Rogers found that Apple had previously infringed on California’s competition laws, directing the company to permit developers more freedom in guiding app users to alternate payment options. Epic highlighted Apple’s alleged violations, including a new 27% fee on off-App Store purchases and warnings discouraging users from external payment methods. The judge emphasized that Apple is prohibited from hindering developers’ communication with users and must cease the new commission on off-app purchases.
Gonzalez Rogers noted that any potential criminal case is to be decided by the executive branch and firmly positioned Apple against any delays in compliance due to previous conduct.
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