US Supreme Court has had enough of Epic vs. Apple, refuses to hear appeals, Tim Sweeney says the fight to open-up iOS 'is lost… a sad outcome for all developers'
The US Supreme Court has ended the legal battle between Apple and Epic, for now at least, by refusing to hear either side's appeals in their long-running dispute over iOS store policies (as reported by Reuters).
Apple had appealed against a lower court's ruling which ordered certain changes to iOS policies, while Epic had appealed against the same court's ruling that iOS policies around distribution and monetisation were not in violation of federal antitrust laws. The Supreme Court justices gave no reason for their decision to deny both appeals.
«The court battle to open iOS to competing stores and payments is lost in the United States,» said Epic CEO Tim Sweeney. «A sad outcome for all developers.
»Now the District Court’s injunction against Apple’s anti-steering rule is in effect, and developers can include in their apps «buttons, external links, or other calls to action that direct customers to purchasing mechanisms, in addition to IAP»."
While Epic may have lost the war, the ruling about Apple's anti-steering rule was the one battle it did win: Apple has to let app developers direct users to non-iOS means of paying for content. The company has to comply with the court's ruling but, in an unsurprising turn of events, has chosen to go the route of malicious compliance: Apps can now direct users outside of the iOS payment ecosystem but, drum roll please, Apple is still demanding a 27% cut of any purchases. In its own words:
«Apple’s commission will be 27% on proceeds you earn from sales (»transactions") to the user for digital goods or services on your website after a link out (i.e., they tap «Continue» on the system disclosure sheet), provided that the sale was initiated within seven days and the digital goods or services can be used in an app."
Yes, that does kind of make it pointless. And guess who's fuming. «Apple filed a bad-faith 'compliance' plan for the District Court's injunction,» said Sweeney. «It totally undermines the order.»
Sweeney lists various
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