Australia's Landmark Ruling Against Tech Giants

In a significant development, Australia's Federal Court has declared that Apple Inc. and Google LLC's control over the app marketplace is anticompetitive. This ruling represents a partial victory for Epic Games, Inc., the creator of Fortnite, in its global battle against the tech behemoths.

The Heart of the Dispute

Justice Jonathan Beach found that Apple and Google misused their dominance by imposing up to 30% in-app purchase fees. Epic Games initiated this legal challenge after Fortnite was removed from the app stores for circumventing these payment systems. However, the court dismissed claims that the companies violated consumer law or acted unconscionably.

Reactions and Next Steps

Apple has expressed strong disagreement with certain aspects of the ruling, while Google has remained silent. In a related development, Epic Games has announced plans to reintroduce Fortnite to iOS in Australia, signaling a potential shift in the app marketplace dynamics.