Apple asks US Supreme Court to strike down Epic Games order
Apple on Thursday asked the US Supreme Court to strike down an order requiring changes to its App Store rules stemming from an antitrust case brought by «Fortnite» owner Epic Games.
The iPhone maker has been in a legal battle with Epic since 2020, when the gaming firm alleged that Apple's practice of charging up to 30% commissions on in-app payments on iPhones and other devices violated US antitrust rules. Epic lost on those claims at trial in 2021, but a US District Court judge ruled that Apple's practice of banning software developers from telling customers about alternative payment methods violated a California unfair competition law.
Elevate Your Tech Prowess with High-Value Skill Courses
Offering CollegeCourseWebsiteIndian School of BusinessISB Digital TransformationVisitIndian School of BusinessISB Product ManagementVisitIIM LucknowIIML Executive Programme in Data ScienceVisitIndian School of BusinessISB Digital Marketing and AnalyticsVisit After the ruling, the trial court judge ordered that Apple must change those rules for all developers in its US App Store. The US Ninth Circuit Court of Appeal upheld the orders, though they remain on hold until the Supreme Court either makes a decision or declines to hear the case.
Apple on Thursday argued the lower court orders violate the US Constitution because they overstep the powers of a federal judge. Apple argued that the trial judge relied on a case brought by a single developer — rather than a broader class of developers — to justify a nationwide ban, without proving that the nationwide ban was needed to remedy the harm caused to Epic.
«That approach eviscerates the constitutional limitations on federal courts' authority and, unless corrected by this Court, would
