Tim Sweeney talks about the future of Fortnite after another win over Apple

Shortly after, appeals court judges ruled against Apple Contempt appeal In a years-long antitrust dispute against the makers fortnite, I spoke with Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney in an interview. According to Sweeney, today’s ruling “completely shuts down” Apple’s App Store rules that allow it to collect “unwanted fees.”

A three-judge Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals panel largely affirmed the April ruling that Apple failed to comply with Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers’ ruling. Request 2021 Allowing app developers to link to third-party payment options, which Sweeney said “…is really great for all developers.”

Perhaps the most notable part of the appeals court ruling is that the panel asks Gonzalez-Rogers to consider ways Apple can charge developers reasonable fees for purchases made in apps using external payment links. In it April rulingGonzalez Rogers prevented Apple from taking it any Fees from external payments due to decisions such as charging external payments a 27 percent fee and forcing developers to create their payments links in plain text.

But the appeals court says Apple “should” be able to charge fees based on “the costs that are truly and reasonably necessary to coordinate external links to associated purchases, but no more” and that Apple “is entitled to certain compensation for the use of its intellectual property that is directly used in allowing Epic and others to complete associated purchases.”

“If you want an app to be reviewed using custom links, there’s probably several hundred dollars in fees associated with that every time you submit an app, which is perfectly reasonable because there are real people at Apple who do these things and Apple pays them, and we should contribute to that,” Sweeney says. But he says the ruling “completely invalidates, I think, forever Apple’s theory that it should be able to charge arbitrary, unwanted fees for access.”

Given these are the two areas Apple would be allowed to charge, “I can’t imagine any justification for valuing a percentage of developer revenue here,” Sweeney says.

Weeks after the ruling was issued in April. fortnite It is back in the US App Store – Nearly five years after Apple first launched it when Epic introduced its in-app purchase system fortnite. There are efforts globally to require Apple to allow third-party app stores on iOS, such as the Digital Markets Act in Europe, which is why you should get… fortnite from Epic Games mobile store In that area.

“So far, Apple has pursued a strategy of collecting unwanted fees in every region until it is forced by law enforcement or regulators to stop,” Sweeney says. “I’m not sure if they’re going to continue like this until they lose every battle around the world, or if at some point they’re going to coordinate their global policies. I certainly hope that at some point Apple will try to make a soft landing and adopt a one-size-fits-all global policy.”

Sweeney expects that Ninth Circuit opinion It will free up “a lot” of regulatory efforts around the world. “Why on earth would any self-respecting country in the world allow Apple to charge fees that a US court found to be illegal in the US?” He says.

The ruling wasn’t the only big news for Epic and… fortnite On mobile today: the game too It’s back on Google Play in the US After it was the same Prefaced by Google When Epic added in-app payment to… fortnite. Epic and Google announced this last month He agreed to settle their lawsuitWhile the two sides are still seeking court approval for their settlement, it is resolving their disputes around the world.

“I’ve been very impressed by the new generation of Android leaders,” Sweeney says. “They’ve turned over a new leaf here.”