When lawyers clash, legal events occur.
A series of events took place on Wednesday between Apple and several of its biggest rivals in the App Store. First, in a new amicus brief filed today in the United States, Meta, Microsoft, X and Match Group have joined together to oppose Apple’s proposed anti-governance changes in the United States.
Following its own series of lawsuits against Apple, Epig Games has released additional details about the company’s plan to launch its own iPhone app marketplace in the European Union. The company says it will take a 12 percent commission on sales…
In the United States, as a result of a years-long legal battle with Epic Games, Apple was forced to relax its anti-governance rules that previously prohibited developers from linking to alternative payment systems in their apps.
Apple has stated that it will continue to charge a commission on purchases made through alternative payment platforms. This commission is 12 percent for developers who are members of the App Store Small Business program and 27 percent for other applications. Epic Games has already expressed its opposition to Apple’s implementation of the anti-governance changes, urging the court to hold Apple in contempt.
Meta, Microsoft, X and Match Group filed an amicus brief on Wednesday saying the coalition does not believe Apple is complying with the order.
Per The Verge:
“Friends say Apple’s 12 to 27 percent fee on third-party purchases defeats the purpose of the new requirement since it’s only a few percentage points below what developers would normally have to pay for in-app purchases. An external purchase fee could make it unrealistic for developers to even set up an external payment system, given that the other transaction costs they might incur that way could eliminate any of the 3 percent gain they’d get from moving away from Apple’s system. Additionally, buyers are unlikely to choose an outside option if it is the same price or higher.”
In the European Union at a conference for game developers, Epic Games revealed that it hopes to launch its Epic Games Store for iPhone and Android in the EU by the end of the year.
The company stated that terms for developers will be the same as the Epic Games Store on mobile and the Epic Games Store on PC. As such, the company will take a 12 percent commission on all sales through the Epic Games Store. Revenue share is 100 percent for the developer during the first six months on the Epic Games Store.
The upcoming Epic Games Store will feature Epic content, including Fortnite, along with a selection of third-party partners. The company says it will share additional details ahead of the launch later this year.
Apple also announced a reduced commission structure in January. For developers who opt in to the new terms, they will pay 17 percent plus 3 percent if the apps use Apple’s In-App Purchase system. Small business app developers will pay a 10 percent commission, plus 3 percent, down from 15 percent.
There’s also the Core Technology Fee, which charges €0.50 per annual install, for apps that are popular enough to move more than a million units per year. Apple estimates that less than 1% of developers will pay CTF.
EU-based developers can also choose either the App Store’s existing terms, which charge a 30 percent commission for larger developers or 15 percent for developers making less than $1 million a year.
Stay tuned for more details as they become available.
Via 9to5Mac and The Verge