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The episode was one of the first challenges to the European DMA from one of the major technology companies it regulates, and the fines and fines under the law may deter some of the acts covered by the law. It raised questions about whether enough was enough. Apple’s quick turnaround suggests European regulators can enforce the law.
“This sends a strong signal to developers that the European Commission will act quickly to enforce digital market laws and hold gatekeepers accountable,” Epic Games said in a statement.
Apple’s App Store accounts for 30% of game purchases and 15% of online subscriptions. Before DMA was introduced in Europe, this was essentially the only way to install apps on your iPhone. The new regulation has led Apple to allow third-party app stores on iPhones in Europe, but Apple has said it can charge half the euro per download, and this pricing strategy is aimed at app developers. It has attracted criticism from.
European regulators announced shortly after Epic’s announcement that they would seek answers from Apple over the incident. On Friday, Sweeney said on social media that Apple had given Epic permission to launch the store following an investigation by the European Commission.
Sweeney said earlier this week that it’s terrible that Apple continues to block its developer accounts in Europe. Schiller, Apple’s head of App Store, wrote to Sweeney asking if he would abide by Apple’s contracts going forward in light of the 2020 lawsuit, to which Sweeney said yes. Still, Apple’s lawyers rejected Sweeney’s statement and blocked Epic’s European account, according to an email provided by Epic Games.
An Apple spokesperson confirmed that Epic Games’ account was restored after Epic told Apple it would abide by its platform policies.
“As a result of discussions with Epic, they have committed to abide by the rules, including our DMA policy. As a result, Epic Sweden AB has been permitted to re-sign the developer agreement and join the Apple Developer Program. ,” a spokesperson told CNBC. statement.
Epic Games announced that it will use this account to publish Fortnite for iPhone in Europe and on its own Epic Games store.
The conflict between Epic Games and Apple dates back to 2020, when Epic Games updated its shooter game Fortnite to avoid Apple’s 30% cut of App Store sales. Apple kicked Fortnite out of its store, and Epic filed a lawsuit in the US to force Apple to open up its platform.
Epic lost most of its lawsuits, but won some concessions under California law.
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