Why Apple Won Its Legal Settlement With Developers

Apple said it had made major concessions, but a closer examination suggests that the tech giant and the app makers’ lawyers were big winners.

Apple said Thursday that it had reached a legal settlement with app developers who accused it of abusing its control of the mobile-app market. The settlement of the lawsuit was complex, and various people in the tech industry had widely different reactions to it. Apple and the people who sued it framed the deal as a major concession from Apple and a victory for developers. Some of Apple’s critics, including companies that pay it millions of dollars in app fees, called it a “sham” that did little to change Apple’s control over apps. Here is an explanation of the settlement and what it means.