The long-running antitrust dispute between Epic Games and Apple over the Fortnite case has taken a major step forward with the decision of the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. The latter struck down most of Epic's claims that Apple violated federal antitrust law by banning alternative app stores on its devices.
App Store Complies with Antitrust Laws: Apple's Position
Refuting Epic's accusations, Apple said that “the App Store continues to promote competition, drive innovation and expand opportunity.” The firm added that the decision “reaffirms Apple's resounding victory in this case, with nine of the ten claims decided in Apple's favor. Only the remaining claim under California state law is being challenged by Apple, which is considering further review.
Epic CEO Tim Sweeney's statement
For his part, Epic CEO Tim Sweeney said the court's decision is a “substantial victory for consumers and developers.” Explaining that the court's decision rejecting Apple's anti-direction provisions (directing users to other payment methods) frees up iOS developers, Tim Sweeney emphasized that he is working on the next steps.
This decision stands as a status quo that could end the dispute. However, it also means that Epic will have to pay Apple's legal fees. As a reminder, the firm had launched its battles against Apple and Google when it offered Fortnite's mobile players a cheaper way to pay for the game's currency that bypassed iOS and Android's payment systems. Apple and Google then removed Fortnite from their app stores and Epic decided to file lawsuits against both companies.
Ultimately, the U.S. appeals court's decision strengthens Apple's position and could well impact future relations between the companies.

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