Apple has refiled a lawsuit with the U.S. Court of Appeals, seeking to overturn a key ruling from April this year. The ruling required Apple to allow developers to access third-party payment systems and prohibited it from charging a 27% commission on related transactions, directly challenging the App Store's payment ecosystem.
The legal dispute dates back to 2020, when Epic Games was removed from the App Store for introducing a feature in "Fortnite" that circumvented Apple's payment system. Epic subsequently sued, and in 2021, Judge Yvonne González Rogers issued a preliminary ruling requiring Apple to allow developers to direct users to alternative payment systems. However, the dispute escalated in April of this year, when Judge Rogers ruled that Apple had not complied with the 2021 order and issued a stricter injunction enforcing the same provision.
In its latest appeal, Apple took a strong stance, arguing that the injunction "violates established principles of civil contempt of court." The company asked the court to either overturn the April ruling and replace the judge, or simply vacate the underlying 2021 injunction. This move marks a new phase in the four-year legal battle between the two parties, the outcome of which could reshape the App Store's business model.
