Apple on Thursday rejected a request by “Fortnite” maker Epic Games to add its own payment option to the iPhone maker’s iOS platform in South Korea, in its latest controversy over app development fees. Apple is battling a lawsuit filed last year by Epic Games, alleging that the smartphone maker abused its dominance in the market for mobile apps.
Their fight moved to South Korea last week when its parliament approved a bill that would prohibit major App Store operators, including Apple, from forcing software developers to use their payment systems, allowing them to use in-apps. You are effectively stopped from charging commission on purchases. The law is expected to come into force around September 15.
Epic said in a post on Twitter that it had asked Apple to restore its Fortnite developer account, adding: “Epic intends to re-release Fortnite on iOS in Korea, compliant with the new Korean offers both Epic Payments and Apple Payments in the U.S. law.”
But Apple said that Epic Games would have to agree to comply with Apple’s App Store review guidelines and that it would not consider any request to reinstate Epic Games’ developer program account in the absence of such an agreement.
“We would welcome Epic’s return to the App Store if they agree to play by the same rules as everyone else,” Apple said in an emailed statement.
It said that even if the South Korean law becomes law, it will not impose any obligation on the firm to approve any Developer Program account application.
Legal experts and developers around the world await a decision in an antitrust case Epic Games has filed against Apple in a US court. Epic broke Apple’s rules when it introduced its in-app payment system in “Fortnite” to circumvent Apple’s commission. Apple told Epic Games that the move violated its rules and removed the game from the App Store. Facing increasing anti-trust scrutiny from global regulators, Apple last week said it would let some apps like Netflix Inc. Will allow you to bypass the 30 percent App Store fee.
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