Several prominent tech companies have joined Epic Games in opposing Apple’s decision to charge a fee for iOS payments made outside the App Store. Meta, Microsoft, X (Twitter) and Match Group filed a legal challenge, lending some support to Epic’s case.

Apple was forced to include third-party payments on iOS due to the requirements of the EU’s Digital Markets Act and a US court ruling. It should also allow alternative iOS app stores in the EU. The company takes a commission of up to 30% on sales through the App Store. Fearful of losing a significant portion of the commission, Apple said it would charge a fee of up to 27% when developers process purchases outside of the App Store.

This month, Epic filed a petition with U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers to enforce a permanent injunction she issued against Apple in 2021 as part of her ruling in a case between the two companies. This decision forced Apple to allow developers to direct users to alternative payment systems. However, most of Rogers’ decision was in Apple’s favor, and both companies appealed the decision all the way to the Supreme Court. In January, the US Supreme Court refused to hear the appeals.

The Supreme Court rejected the antitrust complaints of Epic and Apple – “almost” a victory for the developer of the App Store

Now, four companies have backed Epic’s appeal and argue that the fees Apple charges for external payments effectively leave the previous rules in place.

“Apple’s plan meets neither the letter nor the spirit of this Court’s mandate,” their brief said.

X noted that the 27% fee does not give developers much incentive to refer to external payment methods. Microsoft, which is working on its own mobile game store, said Apple’s latest policy limits its ability to offer subscriptions and discounts to users. Match Group argued that Apple’s decision would affect many developers and users and that it thwarted the court’s attempt to offer consumers competition on pricing. At the same time, Meta charges more for its ad-free and post-promoted plans in its iOS apps than it does on the web.

Apple itself claims that it complied with the court’s decision.

Epic is preparing to launch its game store for both iOS and Android later this year. The company plans to charge mobile game developers the same 12% commission as it charges for PC games.

Source: Engadget

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