Apple has reportedly started paying App Store developers, as part of a class-action settlement. The Small Developer Assistance Fund was set-up by the iPhone maker to compensate the affected developers. The developers will receive a cash payment from a pool of $100 million (USD).
Based on the tweets by a number of developers, AppleInsider noted that the affected developers have begun to receive payments from the Small Developer Assistance Fund. It was in 2019, that a group of developers filed a lawsuit against Apple for the commissions it charged for publishing apps on the App Store. Along with the payment through the fund, the settlement also brought in major changes that would benefit the developers.
Developers who earned less than $1 million (in a year)
Earlier this year, it was reported that developers had the option to submit a request to an independent administrator up till 20th of May, 2022. If the affected developers would meet the criteria of the settlement, the developers would receive a payment ranging from $250 to $30,000 (USD). The option to avail the payment from the fund was made available to had published their apps on the App Store or had in-app purchases enabled in their app during the period from June 4, 2015 to April 26, 2021. Also, the affected developers would have had to earn less than $1 million in a year during the stated period (2015-2021).
“Small businesses are the backbone of our global economy and the beating heart of innovation and opportunity in communities around the world. We’re launching this programme to help small business owners write the next chapter of creativity and prosperity on the App Store, and to build the kind of quality apps our customers love,” said Apple CEO Tim Cook, in 2020. “The App Store has been an engine of economic growth like none other, creating millions of new jobs and a pathway to entrepreneurship accessible to anyone with a great idea. Our new programme carries that progress forward — helping developers fund their small businesses, take risks on new ideas, expand their teams, and continue to make apps that enrich people’s lives.”
