SPOTIFY LEADS APP FAIRNESS ORG

Spotify, the creator of Fortnite, and close to a dozen others have formed the Coalition for App Fairness, a nonprofit group that plans to ask the courts to “protect the app economy.”

The coalition’s main target is Apple, followed by Google. The group charges that due to their control of their app stores, the fees being charged are exorbitant. In some cases, the indie app companies say their troubles are compounded when they compete with an Apple or Google app.

“We believe that every app developer is entitled to fair treatment and that every consumer should have complete control over their own device,” the coalition writes on their website. “Our App Store Principles will ensure a level playing field for platforms like Apple and a consistent standard of conduct across the app ecosystem. The 10 principles outlined include that every developer should always have the right to communicate directly with its users through its app for legitimate business purposes and that no app store should charge unreasonable or excessive fees.”

On Monday, Fortnite parent Epic and Apple are heading, virtually, to court in the Northern District of California to argue over whether Fortnite should stay on the App Store. Apple and Google gave Fortnite the heave-ho last month, claiming payment irregularities.

Spotify spells out its case at Time To Play Fair.