Apple plans to appeal a ruling by the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals in an antitrust case brought by Epic Games, the creator of “Fortnite.”
The court order could potentially require Apple to change its payment practices on the App Store. The ruling may prevent Apple from barring developers from offering alternative payment options outside of the App Store, which currently charges a commission of up to 30% on all purchases.
Apple argues that the lower court’s nationwide injunction went too far and violated a California state unfair competition law. The company intends to raise significant questions about the power of judges to issue broad injunctions in its petition to the US Supreme Court.
Epic Games also has the option to appeal to the Supreme Court in an effort to revive its antitrust claims against Apple regarding app distribution and payment services. The legal dispute between Epic and Apple arose when Epic challenged the fees imposed by Apple, known as the “Apple tax,” for in-app payments.
In response, Epic introduced its own in-app payment system, leading to the removal of Fortnite from the App Store and Google Play store due to violation of app store rules.
