Force Apple to change App Store rules? Epic Games definitely dismissed

Epic failed to compel Apple to immediately change its App Store payment rules. Faced with the Supreme Court, the publisher has indeed failed to convince, leaving the judge to maintain (temporarily) a measure previously pronounced by an American Court of Appeal.

Apple will not be required to modify the payment rules currently in force on its App Store as soon as possible. This is what we learn from Engadget, which reports that American justice has not leaned in favor of Epic Games. At the Supreme Court, the publisher of Fortnite, in lawsuit with Apple for years, was therefore dismissed in its request to have a preliminary decision of the Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit of the United States, rendered there, overturned. a few months old.

As a reminder, this Court had mostly sided with Apple in April. Enough in any case for the firm to claim a ” resounding victory “. The Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit of the United States had, however, upheld an injunction which was to force Apple to modify the payment rules of its App Store… before pausing this injunction in July, to allow Apple to carry the case before the Supreme Court.

Apple vs Epic Games: the legal battle continues

It is this pause of the injunction that Epic Games wanted to have canceled, but without success. Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan denied that request without providing an explanation, Bloomberg reported on Aug. 9. Therefore, Apple is allowed to keep the current App Store rules. At least for now.

For context, this initial confirmation from the Court of Appeals followed a 2021 trial judgment that found that Apple did violate California competition law by preventing third-party developers from directing users to other payment options than his. The judge then issued an injunction to put an end to this practice. Injunction confirmed last spring by the Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit… then put on hold by force of circumstance.

As for the genesis of this case? Epic Games’ desire to bypass App Store payment methods for purchases of ” V Bucks » (credits allowing to acquire content in-game in Fortnite), in order to avoid the 30% commission normally charged by Apple for this type of transaction. The Cupertino giant then quickly banned Fortnite from its App Store, leading a few weeks later to the legal battle that we know.