An appeals court has issued a ruling in the long-running antitrust tussle between Apple and Epic Games. As Bloomberg reports, the US Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a lower court ruling, which rejected most of Epic’s claims that Apple violated federal competition law by prohibiting alternative app stores on its devices. The three-judge panel also upheld a part of the original ruling that was in Epic’s favor.

“There is a lively and important debate about the role played in our economy and democracy by online transaction platforms with market power,” the panel wrote in the decision. “Our job as a federal court of appeals, however, is not to resolve that debate — nor could we even attempt to do so. Instead, in this decision, we faithfully applied existing precedent to the facts.”

The ruling maintains the status quo, unless further appeals move the case to a higher court. One added wrinkle is the fact that Epic may now be on the hook for Apple’s legal fees, as Axios‘ Stephen Totillo pointed out.

“Today’s decision reaffirms Apple’s resounding victory in this case, with nine of ten claims having been decided in Apple’s favor. For the second time in two years, a federal court has ruled that Apple abides by antitrust laws at the state and federal levels,” Apple told Engadget in a statement. “The App Store continues to promote competition, drive innovation, and expand opportunity, and we’re proud of its profound contributions to both users and developers around the world. We respectfully disagree with the court’s ruling on the one remaining claim under state law and are considering further review.”

In the original 2021 ruling, US District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers determined that although Apple prevented users from being able to pay less for apps or in-app purchases, it wasn’t running the App Store like a monopoly. Still, Rogers told Apple to let developers direct users to alternative payment systems, which would have enabled them to bypass the 15 to 30 percent cut Apple typically takes from in-app purchases.

Apple won a last-gasp delay on the implementation of those changes. However, in 2022, it started allowing the makers of certain apps to redirect users to their own websites for payments and to fully manage their accounts.

Engadget has contacted Epic for comment. The company has made similar antitrust claims in a lawsuit against Google and that case is set to go to trial in November. 

Epic kickstarted its battles against Apple and Google when it offered Fortnite mobile players a cheaper way to pay for in-game currency that bypassed the iOS and Android payment systems. Apple and Google removed Fortnite from their app stores, and Epic responded withlawsuits against both companies.

Regardless of the ultimate outcome in both cases, Apple and Google may support third-party app stores on iOS and Android anyway. Regulators in other markets have scrutinized both companies’ app store practices. As a result of new European Union laws in particular, Apple is reportedly preparing to allow third-party marketplaces on the iPhone as soon as next year. If and when it does, Epic’s own mobile app store is ready to go, according to CEO Tim Sweeney. Microsoft is preparing its own mobile app store too.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apple-wins-appeals-court-ruling-against-epic-games-191331514.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – Apple wins appeals court ruling against Epic Games

Your Google Authenticator one-time codes are no longer trapped if you lose the device that stores them. An update to Authenticator for Android and iOS now stores backups of codes in your Google account. You won’t have to reauthorize all your linked apps (or scan a QR code) just because you got a new phone.

Once you have the latest version of the app, you only have to follow prompts to sign into Google and enable syncing. Of course, you’ll also want to be sure your Google account is secure to prevent intruders from misusing Authenticator.

Google is still pushing for password-free logins that use technology like passkeys. However, it also acknowledges that people still rely on one-time codes. The Authenticator update promises to reduce some of the headaches of using those codes until you’re ready and able to move to another system. This might also encourage the use of two-factor authentication if you were previously afraid of what would happen if your phone was lost or stolen.

This isn’t a novel concept. Apps like Microsoft Authenticator also have cloud backups. However, it’s no secret that Google’s tool is popular. Cloud syncing should make a tangible difference, particularly when many apps can use Authenticator as an alternative to the conventional password.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/google-authenticator-finally-syncs-one-time-codes-in-the-cloud-185207290.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – Google Authenticator finally syncs one-time codes in the cloud

Workers at Sega of America have announced plans to form a union. A supermajority of workers based out of the company’s headquarters in Irvine CA say they are forming a union with the Communication Workers of America — calling themselves the Allied Employees Guild Improving Sega, or AEGIS-CWA. 

“Working for Sega is a passion for many of us and it’s been so exciting to see that through organizing, we can make this work a sustainable long-term career,” Sega QA lead and AEGIS member Mohammad Saman said in a statement. “By creating our union, AEGIS-CWA, we’ll have a say in the decisions that shape our working conditions and ensure the job security and working conditions we deserve. We’re excited to protect what already makes Sega great, and help build an even stronger company, together.” 

The fledgling union hopes that Sega will recognize the AEGIS-CWA voluntarily, but have also filed for a union representation election with the National Labor Relations Board. If the unionization goes forward, the group hopes to push for a higher base pay, improved benefits and measures that will help prevent “patterns of overwork” through better staffing. 

Although the proposed union isn’t the largest in the industry by numbers, it’s among the most board, covering 144 workers across Sega of America’s localization, marketing, product development games as a service and quality assurance teams. Although it’s the latest group of game workers to announce the formation of a union, it’s also far from the first. In 2021, Vodeo Games became the first studio in North America to form a union before unfortunately shutting down the following year. Since then, multiple groups with Activision Blizzard voted to unionize. Microsoft is the home to the largest union in the video game industry today, with ZeniMax Workers United CWA representing about 300 employees. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/sega-of-america-workers-are-forming-a-union-184043887.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – Sega of America workers are forming a union

Microsoft has agreed to stop bundling its Teams remote collaboration software with its Office productivity suite, according toFinancial Times. The company’s move attempts to head off an official EU antitrust investigation as it deals with its most significant regulatory concerns in over a decade.

FT’s sources say companies will eventually be able to buy Office with or without Teams installed, “but the mechanism on how to do this remains unclear.” Talks with EU regulators are reportedly ongoing, and “a deal is not certain.” Microsoft told FT, “We are mindful of our responsibilities in the EU as a major technology company. We continue to engage cooperatively with the commission in its investigation and are open to pragmatic solutions that address its concerns and serve customers well.”

Competing remote-work platform Slack, now owned by Salesforce, complained to EU regulators in 2020, asking officials to make Microsoft sell Teams separately from its ubiquitous Office suite. Slack’s general counsel said at the time, “We’re asking the EU to be a neutral referee, examine the facts and enforce the law.”

Microsoft is facing its first regulatory issues in a decade. The company agreed to a settlement with the European Commission in 2009, agreeing to offer European customers a choice of web browsers; it was then fined €561 million in 2013 for failing to adhere to that consistently. Of course, its most famous antitrust shakeup came around the turn of the millennium when it was initially forced to break up into two companies, a ruling later overturned by an appeals court. Microsoft and the DOJ settled in 2001, agreeing to restrictions like sharing APIs with third-party developers and letting PC manufacturers install non-Microsoft software on their products.

In recent months, the company has been scrambling to receive regulatory approval for its planned $69 billion purchase of game publisher Activision Blizzard. The company is reportedly expected to receive a green light from the EU and UK, and it has until July to appease the US Federal Trade Commission. Microsoft offered 10-year legal agreements to provide Call of Duty on Nintendo consoles and cloud-streaming platform Boosteroid to help ease those concerns. Sony reportedly declined a similar offer.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/microsoft-will-reportedly-unbundle-teams-from-office-to-avoid-antitrust-concerns-183139403.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – Microsoft will reportedly unbundle Teams from Office to avoid antitrust concerns