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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Apple had argued that all apps should use Apple’s own in-app payment options.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n