A federal judge created a path for app makers like Spotify and Patreon to avoid paying Apple hefty commissions. Is this a win for consumers? It’s complicated.

These changes could mean more competitive pricing, more direct support for creators, and less frustration for users trying to make simple purchases. Apple, however, is appealing the ruling.

The popular video game Fortnite has returned to the iPhone app store in the U.S., ending a prolonged exile that was triggered by a legal showdown over the lucrative fees that Apple had been collecting for years through a payment system that it has been forced to change.