Epic Games asks for Apple's help to put South Korea's alternative app payments law to work
- Reference: 1631249953
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2021/09/10/epic_vs_apple_south_korea/
- Source link:
The developer of hit game Fortnite last year picked a fight with Apple over the 30 per cent commission it charges on both apps and in-app purchases in the iOS App Store.
Epic [2]offered Fortnite players the chance to use in-game virtual currency to buy in-game items directly from Epic, at a price that undercut prices offered in the iOS App Store.
[3]
Apple promptly exiled Epic from the App Store.
[4]
[5]
The case ended up in the courts. Decisions in numerous cases and antitrust actions are pending.
[6]Tim Cook: Sideloading is a disaster and proposed App Store reforms would harm user privacy and security
[7]Apple seeks to junk claim that iOS is an 'essential facility' in legal spat with Epic Games
[8]Epic Games files competition lawsuit against Google in the UK over Fortnite's ejection from Play Store
[9]Epic Games gets itself epically banned, launches epic Fortnite death match with Apple over App Store's epic 30% cut
While Epic and Apple battled, South Korea acted by passing amendments to its Telecommunications Business Act that compel Apple and Google to offer third-party payment options.
The law passed last week. Epic on Friday tweeted its plan to invoke its provisions.
Epic has asked Apple to restore our Fortnite developer account. Epic intends to re-release Fortnite on iOS in Korea offering both Epic payment and Apple payment side-by-side in compliance with the new Korean law. — Fortnite (@FortniteGame) [10]September 9, 2021
The Register has asked Apple for comment on its response to Epic's request.
The company has told other publications it can't re-instate Epic while the games developer persists with any offer that contravenes the App Store T&Cs. It is unclear if that means that Epic could see its account restored if it drops its alternative payment plans outside South Korea, to take advantage of the South Korean law.
The Register will update this story if Apple responds.
[11]
If Apple were to defy South Korea, it has less to lose than in some markets. Samsung's affinity with its home market means the American company's market share is in the low twenty per cent range – rather smaller than in other developed nations. ®
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[1] https://www.theregister.com/2021/09/01/south_korea_anti_google_bill_passed/
[2] https://www.theregister.com/2020/08/14/epic_games_apple/
[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/personaltech&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2YTss569Qth@KCNlvtA9@RQAAAMc&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/personaltech&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44YTss569Qth@KCNlvtA9@RQAAAMc&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[5] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/personaltech&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33YTss569Qth@KCNlvtA9@RQAAAMc&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[6] https://www.theregister.com/2021/06/17/tim_cook_interview_sideloading/
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2021/05/19/apple_epic_trial_latest/
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2021/01/15/epic_games_google_fortnite_competition_lawsuit/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2020/08/14/epic_games_apple/
[10] https://twitter.com/FortniteGame/status/1436105346184056832?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[11] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/personaltech&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44YTss569Qth@KCNlvtA9@RQAAAMc&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[12] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
I'm pretty sure this is about publicity rather than any real business requirements.
To be honest, if the outcome of all this is that Apple and Google change searching for free games on stores so it finds, you know, free games rather than "free with additional hidden purchases" it'll all be worthwhile.
Maybe not having a slice of the pie will get an algorithm that recommends what I want, rather than what makes the platform most money :)
They will probably ask Google to add it too. This won't make them stop the legal battles by any means, but if they get Apple to do it, they win some money and if not, it becomes another legal argument (further abuse of monopoly power even when explicitly illegal), could hurt Apple, and more attention drawn to what they want.
This reminds me of something that I always used to find amusing - in the older South Korean dramas you can spot the bad guy because he's the one with the iPhone (presumably because all the other phones are product placement and the sponsor doesn't want the baddie having one of their phones). They actually stopped the practice because people complained that it was a spoiler. I guess you could say it gave away the "bad Apple"...
I'll get me coat.
What about Google? Aren't Apple and Google still in lockstep on keeping Fortnite out until Fotrnite drops it's own paysite?