This week’s developments highlight two ways publishers can reduce their dependence on dominant app stores: external checkout and alternative distribution. In the US, the DOJ asked the Supreme Court to reverse the contempt finding that currently allows developers to link to web payments without an Apple commission. On Android, a title removed from Google Play is reportedly returning through the Epic Games Store, showing how a secondary storefront can preserve distribution when the default channel closes.

DOJ asks Supreme Court to reverse Apple's 27% link-out contempt finding

In the ongoing Apple v. Epic Games matter, the U.S. Department of Justice — through the Solicitor General's office — filed an amicus brief on September 21, 2026 urging the Supreme Court to reverse the civil contempt ruling tied to Apple's 27% commission on purchases made through external links. After Apple was ordered to let developers steer users to outside purchasing options, it did so while imposing a 27% commission; a district court held Apple in civil contempt over that implementation, and Apple has since allowed external purchase links without charging a commission. The DOJ's argument is procedural: civil contempt is appropriate only when conduct is "clearly covered by the injunction's express terms," and it concludes the Court "should reverse the contempt finding as to the 27% commission." The DOJ also said the lower courts were right to hold Apple in contempt over its "plain button" restriction, and recommended other issues be returned to lower courts under a "fair ground of doubt" standard. Amicus briefs supporting Apple's contempt-reversal argument came from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Chamber of Progress, a group of former federal antitrust enforcers, the International Center for Law and Economics, the CCIA/NetChoice/SIIA, and the Washington Legal Foundation. Epic Games has until November 13 to respond, and a parallel district-court proceeding continues on how much commission, if any, Apple may charge on linked-out purchases.

Why it matters: The reason U.S. publishers can currently link out to their own web checkout with no Apple commission is the exact contempt finding the DOJ is now asking the Court to unwind. This is a legal/obligation story, not a deterrent: keep web-shop and link-out architecture intact, but design DTC flows that can absorb a future commission change without re-plumbing, and watch the district court's parallel proceeding on the permissible rate as the number that matters.

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A title removed from Google Play returns to Android as an Epic Games Store exclusive

Reported September 17, 2026, Epic Games is bringing Serenity Forge's Doki Doki Literature Club back to Android as an Epic Games Store Android exclusive, after Google removed the visual novel from the Play Store in April 2026 over its depiction of sensitive themes. A placeholder product page was already live for wishlisting (18+ rated) at the time of reporting. In April the developer said it was seeking a resolution with Google and looking into alternate methods of distribution on Android. The title remained available on Apple's App Store, Nintendo's eShop, the PlayStation Store, and Steam throughout, and was still absent from Google Play. Epic and Serenity Forge had not officially confirmed the news at publication.

Why it matters: This is a live example of an alternative Android storefront serving as a real distribution route when a title is removed from the dominant store, not a hypothetical. Store removals are a distribution risk publishers can partially hedge — alternative Android storefronts are a workable secondary channel worth keeping in launch and contingency plans, and by extension a path to monetization outside Play Store billing.

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The takeaway

Both stories show that out-of-app channels are already practical, but their operating conditions can change. The current zero-commission link-out model in the US depends on unresolved litigation, while alternative Android storefronts provide a viable fallback when a title is removed from Google Play.

Publishers should keep both direct-payment and alternative-distribution routes ready rather than relying on a single platform. As a Merchant of Record, tokenz can manage the payments, tax, compliance, refunds, fraud, and changing fee rules behind those channels, allowing publishers to respond to legal or distribution changes without rebuilding their commerce infrastructure.