Apple strikes App Store deal with small developers as it waits for 'Fortnite' ruling

Apple logo is seen on the Apple store at The Marche Saint Germain in Paris, France July 15, 2020. REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes

(Reuters) -Apple Inc on Thursday agreed to loosen App Store restrictions on small developers, striking a deal in a class-action lawsuit as the iPhone maker awaits a ruling by the same judge in a separate App Store dispute brought by the developer behind "Fortnite."

The deal includes changes in how all developers can communicate with customers, an issue highlighted by the judge herself in the Fortnite case.