Apple Inc.
was ordered by a court to allow developers to steer consumers to
outside payment methods for mobile apps, in a ruling that’s a severe
blow to the iPhone maker.
A federal judge granted an injunction sought by Epic Games Inc.
Friday while also ordering the game maker to pay at least $4 million in
damages to Apple for breach of contract. The order could take a big
bite out of the profitability of the App Store: according to analysts
the App Store takes in more than $20 billion a year with a profit margin
above 75%.
