Apple says Epic lawsuit shouldn’t reshape App Store rules for all developers

In the ongoing legal battle between Apple and Epic Games, the tech giant is pushing back against a recent court ruling regarding its App Store commission policies. Apple argues that the issues raised by Epic Games should not result in changes that affect all developers using the U.S. App Store, including major companies like Microsoft and Spotify, which are not involved in this particular lawsuit. In a petition submitted to the U.S. Supreme Court, Apple contends that Epic has never attempted to file a class action lawsuit or demonstrate the necessity of imposing an injunction that impacts other developers. This legal maneuver seeks to challenge a lower court ruling that Apple believes unfairly targets its business practices. Additionally, Apple disputes a civil contempt order issued by the Ninth Circuit, which mandated that the company allow app developers to incorporate links directing users to alternative payment methods outside of Apple's ecosystem. While Apple complied with this order, it has faced criticism for imposing a fee on these external transactions, leading to the contempt ruling. The Ninth Circuit determined that Apple's 27% charge on outside payments undermined the intent of allowing developers to offer alternative payment options. Apple's legal team is now questioning the validity of the contempt ruling, arguing that the original injunction left room for interpretation and did not explicitly prohibit charging fees for third-party transactions. With substantial financial resources at its disposal, Apple has been engaged in this legal conflict with Epic Games since 2020, showing no signs of resolution. Epic Games, on the other hand, has labeled Apple's recent legal strategy as a desperate attempt to prolong the case and avert competition in payment systems, which they argue would ultimately benefit consumers. Recently, the Supreme Court denied Apple’s request to halt further legal proceedings while they assess the legitimacy of the sanctions imposed. Moreover, Epic Games has announced the return of Fortnite to the global App Store, excluding Australia, expressing confidence that the courts will rule in their favor against Apple's current fee structure.