(Bloomberg) — Epic Games Inc. is looking to take advantage of a new law in South Korea that forces Apple Inc. to open its App Store to outside payment systems.
The video-game maker aims to rerelease a version of Fortnite for Apple’s iOS that will offer Epic’s payment option side-by-side with Apple’s, according to a company tweet Thursday. To make that happen, it’s asking Apple to restore Epic’s Fortnite developer account.
South Korea’s National Assembly passed a bill late last month that bans application-store operators from forcing developers to use their online payment systems and instead allows users to pay through a variety of methods. It also applies to Google’s Android, which — like Apple — has faced criticism for using “gatekeeper control” to squeeze app developers. The law needs to be signed by the president before taking effect.
Apple and Epic have been locked in a legal battle over the iPhone maker’s App Store practices, with a ruling expected soon. U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers’s decision could mandate changes to the App Store, and she has indicated that her ruling won’t please either side.
More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com
©2021 Bloomberg L.P.
