Epic has secured the backing of a startup tied to sweater enthusiasts in its legal battle with Apple, and Knitrino has criticized Apple’s handling of the App Store’s policies, saying it has made it harder to launch apps than expected.
Apple’s lawsuit with Epic has entered a post-trial phase, with Epic gaining support from multiple entities seeking to overturn court rulings on various app store policies. On Sunday, a report suggested that Epic’s ally came from an unusual source: Knitters.
Seattle-based startup Knitrino was identified as one of the companies that signed an amicus brief in support of Epic in November 2021, and in January provided an amicus curiae to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. It joins entities including 34 U.S. states and Microsoft in criticizing Apple’s policies.
Knitrino was created by sisters Andrea Cull and Alison Yates to provide knitting patterns and help sweater lovers through an app of the same name, according to The Seattle Times. After developing the app, the company sent it to the Google Play Store and App Store for approval, but surprisingly only Google approved the app.
Apple’s rejection is said to be due to a policy preventing the sale of physical and digital goods through the in-app payment system. After days of revisions and arguments with Apple, which appeared to reiterate only parts of the policy in response to inquiries, Knitrino appealed to the review board and was denied within 19 minutes.
“We went through this feeling like we hit a wall, but couldn’t see the wall,” Yates said. “I don’t know how high this wall is. I don’t know if I can walk a few miles from there and get around it. We’re just groping in the dark.”
Yates is also upset by the lack of choice and control over the situation. “They’re like an approver and an appeals court at the same time, and if they say no, we can’t go to another app store to find our customers.”
Knitrino was later approved by the App Store, but it remains unclear for the startup what caused the change instance. According to Epic Games’ explanation, this is nothing more than Knitrino starting to sell “Unravel Apple” stickers, because it is worried that its support for Epic may lead to Apple’s retaliation.
Yates said Apple has the ability “to exercise that kind of power where they can say if we can do business, for something so casual.” While the app has made its way to the App Store, it’s still “hope there’s an alternative.” Apple is expected to respond to Epic’s appeal in March, with oral arguments expected in the spring or summer.