Proactive Investors - Fortnite developer Epic Games has accused Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL) of failing to fully comply with a court order that demanded changes to the Cupertino megacap’s App Store policies.
Apple, following a directive by the US Supreme Court on January 16, had agreed to let third-party apps in the US include an external link for in-app purchase payments.
However, Epic Games has raised objections, stating that while Apple has implemented this change, it continues to demand a commission of up to 27% on purchases made outside the App Store.
A document filed with the US District Court by Epic’s legal representatives on Tuesday stated: “Plaintiff and Counter-defendant Epic Games disputes Apple’s purported compliance with the injunction and intends to file a motion setting forth the bases for Apple’s non-compliance and requesting appropriate relief from this court.
“Epic is in the process of meeting and conferring with Apple regarding a briefing schedule for Epic’s forthcoming motion.”
The Supreme Court's decision effectively upheld a 2023 appeals court ruling that did not find Apple's business model in violation of federal antitrust laws but did rule against Apple under California's Unfair Competition Law for limiting developers' ability to communicate about alternative payment systems.
The dispute initially flared up in 2020 when Epic Games introduced a payment method in its popular Fortnite game that bypassed Apple's standard 30% fee on in-app purchases, leading to Fortnite's expulsion from the App Store.
Epic’s lawyers did not give a specific publication date for the forthcoming motion.