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Tag: app stores

  • Microsoft Store Will Allow Third-Party Stores

    Microsoft Store Will Allow Third-Party Stores

    Microsoft has announced a major new feature of the Microsoft Store, revealing it will be open to third-party stores.

    App ecosystems are under increasing scrutiny, with developers and regulators alike taking issue with Apple, and to a lesser extent Google, for not embracing third-party stores.

    Microsoft is taking a different approach, announcing its upcoming Microsoft Store will allow third-party stores.

    “Our commitment to being an ‘open Store for an open platform’ isn’t just about the various technical underpinnings of how apps are built,” writes Giorgio Sardo, General Manager, Microsoft Store. “It’s also about making sure our business terms are fair and help promote innovation. For instance, the Microsoft Store on Windows no longer requires app developers to share revenue with Microsoft, when apps manage their own in-app payment systems.

    “In that spirit, today we’re announcing another significant update to our Microsoft Store on Windows policies, which will allow third-party storefront apps to be discoverable in the Microsoft Store on Windows. Just like any other app, third-party storefront apps will have a product detail page that can be found via search or by browsing – so that users can easily find and install it with the same confidence as any other app in the Microsoft Store on Windows. Today, we are sharing that Amazon and Epic Games will bring their storefront apps to the Microsoft Store over the next few months, and we look forward to welcoming other stores as well in the future.”

    Microsoft’s move is sure to put additional pressure on Apple and Google to adjust how they administer their own stores. The new store will launch on October 5 alongside Windows 11.

  • Arizona House Passes Legislation Targeting App Store Payments

    Arizona House Passes Legislation Targeting App Store Payments

    Just weeks after North Dakota failed, the Arizona House has passed legislation to force Apple and Google to allow third-party payments options.

    Apple and Google have both come under fire for requiring in-app payments be routed through their app stores. The issue came to a head when Epic, the maker of Fortnite, sued both companies. North Dakota recently tried to pass a bill that would force both companies to allow third-party options, but the bill failed to gain enough support.

    In contrast, Arizona’s bill has already passed the House of Representatives with a 31-29 vote, and is set to go to the Senate. In particular, the bill would forbid Apple or Google from requiring a developer based in Arizona “to use a particular in-application payment system as the exclusive mode of accepting payments.” The bill would also prohibit the companies from requiring “exclusive use of a particular in-application payment system as the exclusive mode of accepting payments from Arizona users.”

    It remains to be seen if the bill will pass the Senate and be signed by Governor Ducey. If it does, however, it will likely serve as a template for other states. Arizona may also suddenly find itself the destination of choice for app development companies looking to relocate.

  • UK Court Blocks Epic’s Case Against Apple

    UK Court Blocks Epic’s Case Against Apple

    The UK antitrust tribunal has blocked Epic from pursuing its case against Apple — over how the App Store and in-app payments work — in the UK.

    Epic sparked a confrontation with Apple and Google when it tried bypassing both companies’ in-app purchasing rules and the two removed Fortnite from their app stores. Epic filed lawsuits, first against Apple, claiming Apple harmed its business by banning Fortnite from the App Store.

    In her initial ruling, U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers pointed out that Epic can’t argue it was harmed by Apple’s actions when it was Epic that started the problem by breaking its agreement with Apple and then crying foul. The company could have challenged Apple in court, and then collected back damages if it prevailed. By breaking its agreement first, Epic looks to have intentionally created a fake crisis specifically to take advantage of the situation.

    It appears UK courts want no part of the dispute, ruling that Epic will not be able to pursue its case in the UK, according to Reuters. The UK tribunal did not exclude Epic’s against Google, but believes the US is the best jurisdiction to handle the Apple case.

    The ruling is the latest victory in challenges against Apple and Google’s app stores, after the North Dakota legislature voted against a bill that would have required the companies to support third-party app stores and payment systems.