Author: Florian Mueller
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Epic Games asks U.S. court to hold Apple in contempt, alleges “Apple’s so-called compliance is a sham”
Epic Games has filed a motion to enforce its U.S. anti-anti-steering injunction against Apple. That injunction was ordered in September 2021 and entered into force in January after the Supreme Court declined to take the case.
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Some arguments are stronger than others for Apple’s €0.50 per-install-per-year fee being illegal under the DMA
Context: Apple has announced it will soon allow web installs of some (not all) apps beyond the storefronts of alternative app stores (March 12, 2024 games fray article). The per-install per-year Core Technology Fee (CTF) of €0.50 will then also apply to some (still not all) apps installed from the web (beyond alternative app stores…
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Apple modifies EU terms to complicate DMA enforcement, allowing web installs but still not enabling true competition
Context: In January, Apple announced a set of new EU app distribution terms with a view to the bloc’s Digital Markets Act. Initially, Apple did not allow direct web installs (January 26, 2024 games fray article). Various details of Apple’s DMA compliance strategy have been in flux. Apple re-enabled home-screen web apps (March 1, 2024…
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Google’s DMA compliance plan calls Digital Markets Act’s usefulness into question, one pricing detail ridicules the EU
Google’s Digital Markets Act compliance plan creates theoretical, but not practical, opportunities for third parties. Consumers won’t benefit. But the structure and the tone are more constructive than Apple’s, making Google a low enforcement priority.
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Apple capitulates to EU Commission, Epic Games Store will come to iOS—this is the end of the beginning
Apple has given up and now allows Epic Games to create an iOS version of the Epic Games Store in the EU under the bloc’s Digital Markets Act. The European Commission has scored its first major DMA victory within only two days of the compliance deadline. Other issues remain, however.
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App Store critics should shoot down Apple patents to prove “Junk Fees” allegation, win regulatory-political end game
Apple charges €0.50 per install per year if apps are installed by alternative app stores in the EU. Intellectual property valuation is necessary to challenge that fee, and it begins with narrowing the list of IP that has to be valued at all.
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Steve Jobs turning in his grave as EU tells Apple: we won’t let you silence critics like Epic Games—PR Waterloo, $30B risk
An X (forermely known as Twitter) post by EU internal market commissioner Thierry Breton makes it likely that Apple will now have to fold and let Epic Games run an iOS app store in the EU.
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Apple terminates Epic Games’ EU developer account, preventing Epic from making an alternative iOS app store
Apple’s termination of Epic’s Swedish subsidiary’s developer account means further escalation in the Epic-Apple dispute and raises a DMA enforcement question of first impression.
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On DMA Day, thanks to EVP Vestager for prioritizing app stores and to Apple for fixing a small-business issue
On today’s DMA Day, a key compliance deadline, games fray does not see effective competition in app stores (apart from niche markets) on the horizon but there is mid-term hope. And Apple deserves credit for fixing an issue.
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Explanation (on eve of DMA Day) of Apple’s refusal to make major concessions to app makers: it’s worth it to them
App Store critics of all sizes must be aware of what drives Apple’s dogged defense and makes it so resilient. Policy makers and private-sector stakeholders have too often brought butter knives to a high-stakes gunfight.