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Apple Pays the Price for Its Arrogance | Fatbobman’s Swift Weekly #082
Apple Pays the Price for Its Arrogance
A few days ago, the Epic Games v. Apple case reached a critical milestone. The court ruled that Apple had willfully violated the permanent antitrust injunction issued in 2021. While Apple superficially allowed developers to use third-party payment channels, in practice it maintained its original monopoly position through high commissions, deliberate user-experience friction, and intimidating warning screens. The court not only approved Epic’s motion to enforce the injunction but also took the rare step of referring Apple’s behavior to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California, to investigate potential criminal contempt of court charges.
Through the iPhone and App Store, Apple has built formidable commercial barriers, transforming from a once unique and proudly innovative company into the type of tech giant it once sought to avoid becoming. As Apple’s market size and influence expanded, its focus naturally shifted from innovation toward protection and defense of its established market position. This is hardly surprising — once an enterprise reaches sufficient scale, the stable returns from preserving market dominance often outweigh the uncertain gains from continuous innovation.