Australia’s Federal Court has ruled that Apple and Google abused their dominant positions in mobile app distribution, concluding that policies in the App Store and Google Play Store substantially lessened competition. The judgment—running to more than 2,000 pages—found the companies’ restrictions on sideloading and alternative in-app payment systems amounted to anticompetitive conduct, handing Fortnite developer Epic Games a partial victory in its three-year lawsuit. Presiding judge Jonathan Beach dismissed Epic’s broader allegations of consumer-law violations and unconscionable conduct, but said the tech giants’ practices had the purpose or effect of limiting market rivalry. Media reports say the decision could unlock one of Australia’s largest class-action payouts on behalf of developers and consumers who claim they were overcharged because of the firms’ commission fees of up to 30 percent. Epic welcomed the ruling and said it will bring both the Epic Games Store and Fortnite back to iOS devices in Australia, with a launch date still to be determined. The game was removed in 2020 after Epic introduced its own payment mechanism to bypass Apple’s commission structure. Apple said it ‘strongly disagreed’ with parts of the decision while welcoming the court’s rejection of some Epic claims. Google likewise said it would study the judgment and challenge findings related to its billing practices. Both companies indicated they are considering further legal steps.