An Apple retailer in Walnut Creek, California, U.S., on April 30, 2025.
Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty Photos
Apple is asking a court docket to pause a current resolution in its case towards Epic Video games and permit the iPhone maker to as soon as once more cost a fee on in-app transactions that hyperlink out for fee.
Final month, U.S. District Decide Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers in Oakland discovered that Apple had violated her unique court docket order from the Epic trial, initially determined in 2021, that pressured Apple to make restricted modifications to its linking out coverage beneath California legislation.
Decide Rogers’ new ruling is extra expansive, ordering Apple to instantly cease imposing its commissions on purchases made for iPhone apps via net hyperlinks inside its apps, amongst different modifications.
Apple is now seeking to get a keep on that order, in addition to one other one from the case that forestalls it from limiting app builders from selecting the language or placement of these hyperlinks, till the complete resolution might be appealed. Apple says that required modifications of their present kind will value the corporate “substantial sums.”
“That is the newest chapter in Epic’s largely unsuccessful effort to make use of competitors legislation to vary how Apple runs the App Retailer,” Apple mentioned within the emergency movement for a keep. The movement cites a earlier order within the case that discovered that new linking insurance policies would value Apple “tons of of thousands and thousands to billions” of {dollars} yearly.
If Apple succeeds, it should permit the corporate to roll again modifications which have already began to shift the economics of app growth. Builders together with Amazon and Spotify have been capable of replace their apps to keep away from Apple’s commissions and direct prospects to their very own web site for fee.
Previous to the ruling, Amazon’s Kindle app informed customers they may not buy a ebook within the iPhone app. After a current replace, the app now reveals an orange “Get E book” button that hyperlinks to Amazon’s web site.
Epic additionally plans to introduce new software program to permit app and sport builders to simply hyperlink to their web sites to take funds.
“This forces Apple to compete,” Epic Video games CEO Tim Sweeney mentioned shortly after final month’s resolution. “That is what we wished all alongside.”
“Apple’s Movement to Keep is a final ditch effort to dam competitors and extract huge junk charges on the expense of shoppers and builders,” Epic Video games mentioned in a social media submit on Wednesday.
Apple mentioned within the submitting that “non-party builders are already seizing upon the Order to scale back shopper selection (and harm Apple’s enterprise) by, amongst different issues, impeding using” in-app purchases.
Rogers made a legal referral within the case, saying that Apple misled the court docket and that an organization vice chairman “outright lied” about when and why Apple determined to cost 27% for exterior funds. The actual resolution, the decide mentioned, happened in conferences involving Apple CEO Tim Cook dinner.
Wednesday’s submitting from Apple does not deal with Rogers’ accusations that the corporate misled the decide, but it surely does argue that the ruling was punitive. Apple’s attorneys additionally claimed that civil contempt sanctions can solely coerce compliance with an current order, not punish non-compliance.
Apple mentioned earlier this week in a court docket submitting it will enchantment the contempt ruling.
“We have complied with the court docket’s order and we will enchantment,” Cook dinner informed traders on the corporate’s quarterly earnings name final week.
WATCH: Apple says it strongly disagrees with Epic Video games resolution
