Spotify and others have now broken free from the App Store fees
The repercussions continue for Apple following a significant ruling from a federal judge earlier this week, mandating that the company cease collecting fees for purchases made outside its App Store. Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers determined that Apple had been exploiting loopholes to circumvent her own 2021 ruling against the company. In response, companies are swiftly moving to streamline payment processes outside of Apple’s tightly controlled ecosystem, with Spotify being the latest to implement changes.
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With the release of its latest App Store update, version 9.0.40, Spotify has integrated external links for subscription purchases. This strategic move enables the streaming giant to advertise lower prices and a wider range of subscription tiers without relinquishing nearly a third of its subscription revenue to Apple. Furthermore, these changes pave the way for content-specific microtransactions, such as those for audiobooks, to occur outside the app’s purview. Spotify expressed its optimism that these modifications will foster “seamless buying opportunities that will directly benefit creators.”
In a strongly worded blog post published on its website, Spotify conveyed its frustration over the protracted period it took for Apple to adhere to the same judge’s previous order in the landmark Epic Games case, which addressed the identical issue. The blog post stated, “The fact that we haven’t been able to deliver these basic services, which were permitted by the judge’s order four years ago, is absurd. The ruling made it clear that Apple deliberately abused its market power to intentionally harm others and benefit only itself.”
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Epic Games, the catalyst for this legal battle with its original lawsuit against Apple, celebrated this legal victory by announcing a temporary zero-commission policy for games sold through the Epic Games Store. The company also unveiled EGS Webshops, designed to support out-of-app purchases, with a launch slated for next month.
While Apple has publicly stated its intention to comply with the judge’s ruling, the company has also made it clear that it plans to appeal the decision. This legal development adds to an already busy week for Apple’s legal team, following a separate ruling in UK courts where the iPhone maker was ordered to pay over $500 million in damages to Optis in a patent dispute. The cumulative effect of these legal challenges underscores the increasing scrutiny of Apple’s App Store policies and its market power.
Crédito: Link de origem