Name: Apple Removes Fortnite From App Store [Update: Epic Files Lawsuit Against Apple]
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Apple Removes Fortnite From App Store [Update: Epic Files Lawsuit Against Apple]

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Thursday August 13, 2020 11:58 am PDT by Just hours after introduced for Fortnite that skirts Apple's in-app purchase rules, Apple has pulled the Fortnite app from the .Fortnite is no longer available for download on the or the , and Apple provided a statement to MacRumors on Fortnite's removal:Today, Epic Games took the unfortunate step of violating the App Store guidelines that are applied equally to every developer and designed to keep the store safe for our users. As a result their Fortnite app has been removed from the store. Epic enabled a feature in its app which was not reviewed or approved by Apple, and they did so with the express intent of violating the App Store guidelines regarding in-app payments that apply to every developer who sells digital goods or services.Epic has had apps on the App Store for a decade, and have benefited from the App Store ecosystem - including it's tools, testing, and distribution that Apple provides to all developers. Epic agreed to the App Store terms and guidelines freely and we're glad they've built such a successful business on the App Store. The fact that their business interests now lead them to push for a special arrangement does not change the fact that these guidelines create a level playing field for all developers and make the store safe for all users. We will make every effort to work with Epic to resolve these violations so they can return Fortnite to the App Store.This morning, ‌Epic Games‌ began letting players purchase 1,000 V-Bucks in the Fortnite app for $7.99, with the purchases going directly to ‌Epic Games‌ rather than using Apple's in-app purchase system.At the time, it was not known if ‌Epic Games‌ had some kind of special permission from Apple to introduce such a feature as it is a clear violation of Apple's ‌App Store‌ rules surrounding in-app purchases. Given that the app has now been pulled from the ‌App Store‌, it appears that ‌Epic Games‌ willingly violated Apple's requirements by offering the direct payment plan.Rule 3.1.1 of Apple's ‌App Store‌ guidelines states that apps that offer in-game currencies need to use the in-app purchase mechanism. Apps are prohibited from including buttons, links, or other calls to action that ask customers to use non-Apple approved payment methods.3.1.1 In-App Purchase:- If you want to unlock features or functionality within your app, (by way of example: subscriptions, in-game currencies, game levels, access to premium content, or unlocking a full version), you must use in-app purchase. Apps may not use their own mechanisms to unlock content or functionality, such as license keys, augmented reality markers, QR codes, etc. Apps and their metadata may not include buttons, external links, or other calls to action that direct customers to purchasing mechanisms other than in-app purchase.‌Epic Games‌ made the direct payment option available in the in the United States, Canada, Australia, France, Germany, Spain, the United Kingdom, and other countries, and said that because apps that offer real-life goods and services like Uber and StubHub are not required to use Apple's in-app purchase mechanism, Fortnite should be entitled to the same treatment. ‌Epic Games‌ has also called Apple and Google's 30 percent commission on in-app purchases "exorbitant."In response to Apple's statement and the removal of Fortnite from the ‌App Store‌, ‌Epic Games‌ announced a new Nineteen Eighty-Fortnite short premiering at 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time, which appears to be a riff on Apple's famous 1984 ad.Fortnite Party Royale will premiere a new short: Nineteen Eighty-Fortnite. Join us at 4PM ET.— Fortnite (@FortniteGame)‌Epic Games‌' stand against Apple comes as Apple is facing a over its ‌App Store‌ rules and policies and as Apple is recovering from another very public dispute .Update: ‌Epic Games‌ has filed a lawsuit against Apple for pulling Fortnite from the ‌App Store‌. []In the filing, ‌Epic Games‌ accuses Apple of being a "the behemoth seeking to control markets, block competition, and stifle innovation" and imposing "anti-competitive restraints" and using "monopolistic practices in markets" against ‌App Store‌ developers.Apple imposes unreasonable and unlawful restraints to completely monopolize both markets and prevent software developers from reaching the over one billion users of its mobile devices (e.g., iPhone and iPad) unless they go through a single store controlled by Apple, the App Store, where Apple exacts an oppressive 30% tax on the sale of every app. Apple also requires software developers who wish to sell digital in-app content to those consumers to use a single payment processing option offered by Apple, In-App Purchase, which likewise carries a 30% tax.With the lawsuit, ‌Epic Games‌ says it is not aiming for a cash payout, but instead wants to secure "injunctive relief" in the iOS App distribution market and payment processing market for " hundreds of millions of consumers and tens of thousands, if not more, of third-party app developers."Update 2: The Nineteen Eighty-Fortnite short is now available on the Fortnite YouTube channel, encouraging people to "join the fight to stop 2020 from becoming 1984." The ad is also available in Fortnite.‌Epic Games‌ has also explaining the lawsuit it has filed against Apple and why ‌iPhone‌ and ‌iPad‌ users can't access the Fortnite app.Tags: , , , , [ ]Good. Fortnite doesn't provide third parties a way to sell within its game. Why should Apple allow them free real-estate for customers that Apple worked to build?Apple's store. Apple's rules.Score: 111 Votes ( | )Damn, what a mistake, Epic. The amount of money they are losing right now has to be crazy.I think it was a calculated move, Epic knew Fortnite would get pulled and is taking the short term money loss for what could be a PR win long termScore: 77 Votes ( | )Epic did this knowing full well they'd be pulled so they could play the victim.Score: 62 Votes ( | )This is actually a really smart move on Epic's part. They know that Apple is under fire right now, so they pushed out this update to cause calamity. They've made so much money from Fortnite, including on other platforms, that it's worth it for them to take this short-term hit to increase long-term profits. This is about to get quite interesting.Score: 50 Votes ( | )Epic knows what it’s doing... Baiting Apple during an antitrust investigation. Apple took the bait, and I’m sure it will catch the eye of lawmakers and investigators. Bravo!Score: 48 Votes ( | )They played with fire lol.Score: 47 Votes ( | )Friday September 9, 2022 9:20 am PDT by Garmin has reacted to Apple's new rugged Apple Watch Ultra, saying in a tweet following the iPhone 14 and Apple Watch event that it measures battery life in "months" and "not hours," promoting its latest Enduro 2 watch for athletes. While the Apple Watch Ultra has the longest battery life of any Apple Watch to date, with Apple promising up to 36 hours of normal use and up to 60 hours with... • Sunday September 11, 2022 7:53 am PDT by Apple is set to release iOS 16 this Monday, September 12, as a free update for the iPhone 8 and newer. iOS 16 includes plenty of new features, ranging from a customizable Lock Screen to the ability to temporarily edit or unsend iMessages. To install iOS 16 when the update is released, open the Settings app on your iPhone and tap General → Software Update. After you update your iPhone to... • Friday September 9, 2022 1:37 pm PDT by With pre-orders for the iPhone 14 lineup now open, many iPhone customers will be weighing up whether or not now is the time to upgrade their device. The iPhone 14 models offer some substantial upgrades with Emergency SOS via satellite, Crash Detection, camera improvements, and more, but some customers will now be casting their mind forward to next year, when it may be a more appropriate time ... • Monday September 12, 2022 4:27 am PDT by The iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus have seen "bad" pre-order results, indicating that Apple's positioning of the two new standard models may have failed, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. In his -14-first-weekend-online-pre-order-survey-110411040b5d"&gt;latest post on Medium, Kuo explained that the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max have seen "neutral" and "good" pre-order results... • Sunday September 11, 2022 2:00 am PDT by There are usually multiple features that Apple is not able to finish before the first official release of a major new version of iOS, and this year looks to be no different, with a total of nine iOS 16 features now confirmed to not be present in the first public version of the new OS. Last year, SharePlay, Digital IDs in the Wallet app, and Universal Control were among a large number of... • Sunday September 11, 2022 3:58 pm PDT by Apple does not advertise battery capacities for its new iPhone 14 lineup, but MacRumors has obtained this information from a Chinese regulatory database. Three out of four iPhone 14 models feature larger battery capacities compared to the iPhone 13 lineup, with the exception being the iPhone 14 Pro Max, which is equipped with a slightly smaller battery compared to the iPhone 13 Pro Max.... • Sunday September 11, 2022 1:20 pm PDT by Following its September event focused on new iPhone and Apple Watch models, Apple often holds another event in October focused on new iPad and Mac models, and this year will likely be no exception. October is still three weeks away, but we already have a good idea of the products that would likely be announced at an event next month. For the October event, rumors suggest that Apple plans to... • Saturday September 10, 2022 2:31 pm PDT by As was the case with iPhone 13 Pro models released last year, 4K ProRes video recording on the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max still requires a model with at least 256GB of storage, according to Apple's tech specs for the devices. ProRes video recording is limited to 1080p at 30 frames per second on iPhone 14 Pro models with a 128GB storage capacity. To record ProRes video in 4K at 30... • When will iOS 16 and iPadOS 16 be released? Here's everything we know. Apple on July 20 released iOS 15.6 and iPadOS 15.6, bringing improvements to the live sports experience in the TV app and several bug fixes. How big of an upgrade are Apple's cheapest mainstream flagship phones? Apple's latest Pro phones replace the notch with an innovative "Dynamic Island," but what else is new compared to last year's models?• • • • • September 16Apple's new high-end iPhone models with Dynamic Island camera cutout, A16 chip, 48MP main camera, and more. Pre-orders available now. September 16Apple's latest mainstream iPhone models in two sizes with A15 chip, car crash detection, satellite connectivity, and more. Pre-order now ahead of iPhone 14 launch on September 16, iPhone 14 Plus on October 7. September 16New body temperature sensors, car crash detection, and more. Pre-order now. Mid–Late 2022?Updated AirPods Pro could see some design changes like elimination of the stem.• • • • • {other_blurb}

Thursday August 13, 2020 11:58 am PDT by Just hours after introduced for Fortnite that skirts Apple's in-app purchase rules, Apple has pulled the Fortnite app from the .Fortnite is no longer available for download on the or the , and Apple provided a statement to MacRumors on Fortnite's removal:Today, Epic Games took the unfortunate step of violating the App Store guidelines that are applied equally to every developer and designed to keep the store safe for our users. As a result their Fortnite app has been removed from the store. Epic enabled a feature in its app which was not reviewed or...

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Apple Removes Fortnite From App Store [Update: Epic Files Lawsuit Against Apple]

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