Supreme Court Agrees to Hear Apple Appeal on Epic Contempt Ruling

*The United States Supreme Court will review whether a lower court’s contempt finding against Apple in the Epic Games case was erroneous.*

The Supreme Court granted Apple’s request to hear its appeal of the contempt ruling that required the company to alter App Store linking rules. The decision comes after Apple petitioned the court in May. The justices will examine whether the contempt order oversteps prior findings in the long-running dispute.

Apple welcomed the move. In a statement, the company said the case presents an important question of law and expressed satisfaction that the Supreme Court will consider it. The contempt ruling stems from enforcement actions tied to the original 2021 Epic Games litigation.

That earlier case ended without a finding that Apple violated antitrust law. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers has continued to oversee compliance issues and imposed the contempt sanction after determining Apple’s App Store policy changes fell short. The Supreme Court previously declined to take the underlying antitrust appeal in 2024.

Reactions

Apple has maintained that the contempt order rests on an incorrect reading of the original injunction. Epic Games has not issued a public response to the Supreme Court’s grant of certiorari in the materials available so far.

Why it matters

The appeal gives the justices an opportunity to clarify the limits of judicial enforcement power in platform cases that involve both antitrust and contract remedies. For developers and Apple users, the outcome will determine whether the current App Store linking accommodations remain in place or face further revision while the litigation continues.

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Sources:

• Ars Technica
• MacRumors

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