Apple has received a major blow in its ongoing lawsuit against Fortnite maker Epic Games, with a California court ruling that Apple cannot prohibit app developers from directing users to third-party payment options.

Apple had argued that all apps should use Apple’s own in-app payment options.

Epic Games sued Apple over the price cut of up to 30% that Apple takes from purchases – arguing that the App Store maintains an illegal monopoly.

Last Friday, Judge Yvonne Gonzalez-Rogers ruled that “the court cannot ultimately conclude that Apple is a monopolist”. Nevertheless, she also issued a permanent injunction which states that Apple can no longer prohibit developers from connecting to their own purchasing systems.

Apple’s closed payment system is hugely lucrative for the tech giant, although Apple says it does not know exactly how much it earns from the system.

The ruling effectively states that Apple has no power to prevent developers from communicating directly with customers and looking for cheaper options for consumers outside the App Store.

For more information, view the original story from BBC.