The legal battle between game developer Epic Games and Apple will be fully launched next Monday, local time in the United States. The outcome of the lawsuit may reshape the future of the app store and affect the world’s largest technology platform’s money-making model from developers.
U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers will decide whether it will force Apple to let Fortnite re-enter its app store, even if the latter releases its own internal payment option. She will also decide whether Apple can block third-party applications developed using Epic’s Unreal Engine.
Most legal experts expect that Judge Rogers will extend her temporary ban on Apple’s inability to block Unreal Engine, but will not support the return of Fortnite to the Apple App Store.
These decisions will have far-reaching effects, especially when global regulators investigate whether technology giants such as Apple and Google have violated antitrust rules. On Monday, the judge will consider whether Epic is likely to succeed with its antitrust allegations, and whether the company will suffer irreparable damage if the judge does not issue an injunction.
This is related to the ability of Apple and Google to charge up to 30% commissions to developers who use their app stores . Market research firm Sensor Tower estimates that in the first half of 2020, global consumers will spend more than US$50 billion on two app stores, creating billions of US dollars in high-profit revenue for these companies.
Research firm IDC analyst Lewis Ward (Lewis Ward) said that if the “Fortress Night” case ultimately benefits Apple, Google may also change its policy. But regardless of the result, Epic has won the favor of players and other developers, which is conducive to promoting its reputation and prospects in the gaming industry.
However, this case brings broader risks to Apple. If Epic continues to portray Apple as the bad guy in the eyes of young iPhone and iPad users, it may distort their overall view of Apple. If Epic wins, it will make it more difficult for Apple to impose its app store payment system on other developers, thus losing an important source of revenue.
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