Apple and Epic Games are at it again. For the second time, their massive legal war is heading toward the highest court in the country. Apple wants the Supreme Court to step in and decide exactly how it can collect money from apps that use outside payment systems. The company is trying to hold onto its profits as courts push for more competition.
Right now, Apple is trying to stop a lower court ruling that limits the commissions it charges software developers. Even when an app uses a different bank or payment processor instead of Apple’s App Store, Apple still wants a cut of that money. They argue that they deserve this fee for providing the platform and the customers.
This isn’t the first time Apple has knocked on the Supreme Court’s door. Last time, the court refused to hear a case about whether Apple had to allow these outside payment options at all. This time, Apple is focusing specifically on the amount of the fees themselves rather than the basic rules of the store. If the court ignores them again, Apple could lose millions in revenue.
Epic Games, the creator of Fortnite, has spent years trying to break the “tax” that both Apple and Google put on digital sales. While they are still fighting Apple in the U.S., they recently made peace with Google. Fortnite finally returned to the Google Play Store in March after a very long absence.
That deal with Google came with a strange catch. Epic’s CEO, Tim Sweeney, reportedly agreed to stop complaining about Google’s store fees until the year 2032. It seems Google wanted some peace and quiet in exchange for letting the popular game back onto their platform. It was a surprising move for a CEO who usually speaks his mind.
Despite these legal moves, things aren’t perfect at Epic Games. The company struggled with its budget recently and had to lay off more than 1,000 employees last month. Even though they are fighting big battles in court, they are still feeling a major financial pinch at home.
Everyone is now waiting to see if the Supreme Court will actually take the case this time. If the judges say no again, Apple might have to permanently lower the fees it charges to developers who want to handle their own money. This would be a huge win for app makers but a big blow to Apple’s bottom line.
