Apple does not want Fortnite to return to its app store

Apple does not want the popular online game "Fortnite" to return to its app store until the legal dispute with the developer Epic Games is completely over. The iPhone company declined a request for the resumption, according to a letter published by Epic boss Tim Sweeney. Apple referred, among other things, to the previous "duplicitous" behavior of Epic. In the dispute between Apple and Epic, which has been going on for over a year, the first judgment was given ten days ago. A judge in California ruled, among other things, that Apple was entitled to ban Epic and "Fortnite" from the App Store. Epic wanted to enforce the right to operate its own app store on the iPhone and to be able to sell digital content to "Fortnite" players past Apple. After Apple insisted on its rules, Epic resorted to a trick. The game company secretly built software code into the app, thanks to which users could buy "Fortnite" items directly from Epic without commissions being paid to Apple. After the feature was activated, Apple threw "Fortnite" from the App Store. Epic complained against it. In her judgment, the judge touched neither the Apple commission of 15 to 30 percent for sales of digital goods, nor that the in-house app store is the only platform for downloading apps on the iPhone. However, the judge decided that in future Apple should no longer prohibit developers from advising users of ways to buy the items outside the app store at a lower price. Epic appealed the verdict.