U.S. Supreme Court Rejects Epic Games' Bid Against Apple's Controversial App Store Practices

Looks like America has Apple’s back.

According to Reuters, the U.S. Supreme Court has rejected Epic Games' bid to enforce a federal judge's injunction against Apple's App Store practices. This means that Apple will not have to alter its payment practices within the App Store for the time being. The decision by the court upholds a ruling by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that delayed the injunction while Apple pursues a Supreme Court appeal.

In case you weren’t aware, Epic Games had filed an antitrust lawsuit against Apple in 2020, accusing the tech giant of monopolistic behavior by requiring consumers to use its App Store for app downloads and in-app purchases. Apple's App Store comes with a commission of up to 30%. While the judge rejected Epic Games’ antitrust claims, she did rule that Apple had violated California's unfair competition law by prohibiting developers from directing users to alternative payment methods that could potentially offer lower commissions.

The injunction that Epic Games sought to enforce would have compelled Apple to allow app developers to include links and buttons in their apps, directing users to other methods of payment. However, the Supreme Court's refusal to implement this injunction means that Apple's existing payment practices within the App Store will remain unchanged while Apple readies it's appeal to the Supreme Court.