Supreme Court to Hear Apple Appeal Over Epic Contempt Ruling

*The United States Supreme Court will review a lower-court contempt finding that required Apple to alter its App Store linking rules in the long-running dispute with Epic Games.*

The Supreme Court granted Apple’s request to hear its appeal of a ruling that held the company in contempt for its handling of App Store fees and external payment links. The decision comes after Apple petitioned the court in May.

What the lower court ordered

A federal judge had directed Apple to let developers point users to outside payment options without the 30 percent commission the company normally collects. Apple’s changes to the App Store rules were later deemed insufficient by the same court, resulting in the contempt finding now under review.

Apple’s position

In a statement to reporters, Apple said the Supreme Court’s decision to take the case was welcome. “This is an important question of law and we are pleased the Supreme Court will hear our case,” the company said.

The current appeal concerns only the contempt order, not the original 2021 antitrust trial in which Apple was found not to have violated antitrust law on the core claims brought by Epic.

Prior history

The Supreme Court declined to hear the initial Epic appeal in 2024. The new petition focuses on the narrower issue of whether the district court properly enforced and then sanctioned Apple for its compliance steps.

Epic Games has also responded to the Court’s decision, though the substance of that response has not been detailed in public statements released so far.

Why it matters

For developers and Apple alike, the outcome will determine how strictly the company must open its payment system on iOS and whether similar compliance disputes in other jurisdictions will face the same level of judicial scrutiny. A ruling that narrows the district court’s power could slow efforts to force changes in App Store economics; a ruling that upholds the contempt order would strengthen the hand of regulators and plaintiffs seeking structural remedies.

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Sources:

• 9to5Mac
• MacRumors
• Bloomberg Technology

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