The Core Conflict:
- The issue kicked off when Epic Games, the maker of Fortnite, challenged Apple's longstanding App Store rules.
- Specifically, Epic contested the requirement for developers to use Apple's in-app purchase system for digital goods and services, from which Apple takes a commission, historically it's often cited as 15-30%.
- Epic attempted to bypass this system within Fortnite, leading Apple to remove the game from the App Store.
Key Ruling & Changes:
- A major development from the legal battle is a US court ruling that significantly impacts Apple's ability to enforce its commission on purchases made outside the app.
- Following earlier rulings, Apple was required to allow developers to "steer" users to alternative payment methods (e.g., via links to their website). However, Apple initially tried to comply by still charging a hefty 27% commission on these external purchases.
- Crucially, a recent court decision (around May 1, 2025) struck down this 27% fee for off-app purchases in the US. The court found Apple was willfully violating the spirit of the original injunction.
- What this means now (in the US):
- Developers can include buttons or links in their apps directing users to their own websites or other platforms to make purchases.
- Apple is prohibited from charging any commission or fee on these purchases completed outside the app via those links.
- Apple cannot restrict how developers communicate these alternative options within their apps or use "scare screens" to deter users from clicking external links.
- This ruling essentially forces Apple to allow developers in the US to direct users to external payment options and keep 100% of the revenue (minus standard payment processing fees from providers like Stripe, etc.) for those specific transactions.
Important Distinction (US vs. EU):
- It's worth noting these specific changes (allowing external links without an Apple commission) stem directly from the Epic vs. Apple lawsuit judgment in the United States.
- Separately, regulations in the European Union (the Digital Markets Act) have led to different changes, such as allowing alternative payment processors directly within apps and alternative app marketplaces, often involving a different, reduced commission structure (e.g., 10-17% + optional fees) rather than eliminating the fee entirely for external links like the US ruling does.
In essence, the Epic lawsuit has forced a significant change in the US, compelling Apple to permit developers to guide users to external payment options without Apple taking a cut from those specific off-app transactions. Apple has stated it plans to appeal the latest ruling.
