Apple’s App Store Isn’t Evil

Apple’s App Store is a boon to users, a marvel of software innovation and an exemplar of cutthroat competitiveness. Is it also a standing violation of antitrust law?

That’s a contention that Epic Games, the maker of “Fortnite,” will test in court next week. Epic doesn’t like that Apple takes a 30% cut of its in-app sales on its devices. To avoid the fee, and in violation of the store’s rules, Epic introduced a payment system that would allow users to purchase items from it directly. Apple and Google (which has a similar arrangement) both yanked “Fortnite” from their mobile stores in response. A lawsuit followed.