Although the ruling was mostly in Apple’s favor, the Supreme Court’s decision to decline the case means Apple must comply with a portion of the lower courts’ ruling.
Apple now must amend its App Store rules that limit developers from telling users about other payment methods.
Both Apple and Epic Games, the developer of Fortnite, requested the Supreme Court review the case. California Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers ruled mostly in Apple’s favor in September 2021, and the Ninth Circuit upheld the decision in April 2023.
The case centered on Epic Games’s allegations that Apple’s App Store rules are anti-competitive.
The charge followed Apple booting Epic from its App Store when the company violated Apple’s rules. Epic offered an alternative way for users to download its app and avoid 15 to 30 percent commission fees from in-app purchases that Apple collects.
The lower courts’ rulings, which remain in place, allow Apple to be the sole distributor of apps on its smart devices. This means app developers must comply with Apple’s rules in order to reach customers using Apple’s smart devices, such as the iPhone.
However, the ruling included a partial win on Epic’s side that found Apple’s so-called anti-steering restrictions, which keep users from learning about alternative payment methods, are anti-competitive.
The ruling included an injunction to force Apple to allow developers to direct customers to alternative payment methods.
Read more in a full report at TheHill.com.
