Apple is making ready to take its App Retailer struggle with Epic Video games again to the Supreme Courtroom. In a new filing, the iPhone maker mentioned it plans to ask the U.S. Supreme Courtroom to evaluate one other side of this long-running case over App Retailer charges.
Within the meantime, Apple sought to pause the appeals court docket’s ruling limiting the way it can cost for exterior funds. On Monday, April 6, the court docket granted Apple’s movement, and Epic Video games instantly challenged it.
As a refresher, Apple has been in a multi-year authorized battle in opposition to Fortnite maker Epic Video games after the sport maker added exterior funds in its app to bypass Apple’s App Retailer charges in 2020. Apple largely gained the case in 2021 because the court docket dominated that Apple was not a monopoly. Nonetheless, the decide specified that Apple needed to enable builders to hyperlink to exterior cost choices.
The tech big appealed that call as much as the Supreme Courtroom, which declined to listen to the case, permitting the Ninth Circuit Courtroom’s unique ruling to face. Because of this, Apple started permitting exterior funds, but it surely charged builders utilizing their very own cost techniques a 27% fee on these purchases — solely a slight low cost from Apple’s traditional 30% price. (In the meantime, Google, dealing with the same case, settled with Epic Video games final month, and dropped its Play Retailer commissions to twenty%.)
Epic Video games argued that such a price was not compliant with the court docket order; they and different builders additionally weren’t saving any cash, as cost processing has charges of its personal.
The U.S. District Courtroom for the Northern District of California agreed with Epic, discovering Apple in contempt. That call was upheld by the U.S. Courtroom of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in December 2025. The appeals court docket said that Apple’s 27% price on exterior funds successfully defeated the aim of permitting them, but it surely didn’t recommend a brand new fee. That call is headed again to a decrease court docket to resolve. (Apple requested for a rehearing on this choice, however its request was denied in March 2026.)
As Apple now has no extra choices throughout the Ninth Circuit, it plans to take its case to the Supreme Courtroom.
If the Supreme Courtroom agrees to listen to the case, Apple is predicted to problem the authorized requirements that have been used to carry it in contempt, and it could attempt to persuade the judges that courts shouldn’t be allowed to restrict the charges it may well cost for its companies. The corporate has lengthy argued that the 27% price isn’t for cost processing, however for different companies, like internet hosting, discovery, and its software program and developer instruments. Primarily, it’s a price that Apple believes displays the worth of its App Retailer ecosystem.
Nonetheless, for the reason that Supreme Courtroom refused to listen to Apple’s prior attraction, which centered on a special side of the case, it may very nicely reject this one as nicely.
When this battle lastly wraps, the court docket’s choice may influence how a lot cash Apple makes from its App Retailer, as customers more and more flip to AI chatbots and brokers to get issues accomplished.
Reached for remark, a spokesperson for Epic Video games, Natalie Munoz, known as Apple’s movement to remain “one other delay tactic to stop the court docket from establishing vital and everlasting bounds on Apple’s skill to cost junk charges on third-party funds.”
“Courts have time and time once more discovered this to be unlawful,” she added. “Epic has heard this straight from many builders in our efforts to supply Internet Retailers and comparable options to them in competitors with Apple. Because of Apple’s techniques, just a few courageous builders, together with Spotify, Kindle, and Patreon, have been keen to reap the benefits of this proper and convey advantages to customers. We are going to maintain standing as much as Apple’s makes an attempt to undermine competitors.”
Up to date after publication with Epic’s remark, and to notice when the movement was granted.
