The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear Apple’s (NASDAQ:AAPL) appeal of a contempt ruling tied to its long-running antitrust battle with Epic Games.
The case stems from Epic’s 2020 lawsuit challenging Apple’s control over iOS in-app payments and restrictions on directing users to external payment options, Reuters reported. Apple largely won the underlying case, but a 2021 injunction required the company to allow developers to link out to alternative payment systems.
U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers later found Apple in civil contempt for failing to fully comply with that order. An appeals court upheld the ruling, setting up the Supreme Court review. Oral arguments are expected in the court’s next term starting in October.
Benzinga reached out to Apple for comment but did not receive a response at the time of publication.
"We’re heading to the Supreme Court where we’ll continue to fight against junk fees Apple charges on third-party payments. Lower courts have rightly found Apple’s fees to be illegal and anticompetitive and we’ll continue to defend free markets," a spokesperson for Epic Games told Benzinga in a statement, referencing an X post.
Apple denies it violated the injunction and argues the order should not extend beyond Epic. In court filings, the company also said global regulators are closely watching the case as they weigh app store commission structures in other major markets.
At the center of the dispute is Apple’s updated compliance policy, which allows external payment links but imposes a 27% fee on purchases made through those links, compared with its standard 30% App Store commission.
Epic says the structure still violates the injunction, a position Judge Rogers accepted in her 2025 contempt ruling.
Apple has also asked the court to pause enforcement, calling the contempt label "erroneous and prejudicial" while the Supreme Court considers the appeal.
“Regulators around the world are watching this case to determine what commission rate Apple may charge on covered purchases in huge markets outside the United States,” Apple told the Supreme Court in a filing.
In May, Epic CEO Tim Sweeney criticized Apple’s approach, warning it could shape global app store commission rules. He has urged regulators in the EU, U.K., and other jurisdictions to take stronger action, arguing the case could redefine digital marketplace fees beyond the U.S.
He urged global regulators and enforcement agencies to take stronger action against Apple, saying they should “get off the sidelines.
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