Apple has officially appealed a recent ruling by Judge Yvonne Gonzalez-Rogers, which ordered the company to immediately cease charging fees on purchases made outside its App Store and to allow developers to include third-party payment system links within their apps.
The decision was initially issued as part of the ongoing antitrust case between Apple and Epic Games. Although Apple strongly disagreed with the ruling, it stated that it would comply while also pursuing an appeal. The company has now taken that step, filing its appeal with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Notably, just a few days prior, Apple amended its App Store Developer Guidelines to permit developers to add links to alternative payment systems within their applications.
This case stems from a 2021 ruling in which Judge Gonzalez-Rogers ordered Apple to lift its restrictions on external payment links. In response, Apple began imposing a 27% commission on purchases made outside of its App Store— a move that Epic Games argued violated the original court order.
Ongoing Legal Developments and Sanctions
The case was revived last year after Epic filed a motion claiming Apple had failed to comply with the court’s directive, reminds NIX Solutions. The judge agreed, determining that Apple had indeed breached the original order. As a result, the court barred the company from continuing to charge commissions on out-of-store purchases and from preventing developers from linking to third-party payment systems.
In a more serious development, the court also found that Apple’s vice president of finance, Alex Roman, had lied under oath. This led to a referral of the matter to federal prosecutors for potential criminal prosecution. Additionally, the judge sanctioned Apple for abusing attorney-client privilege in an effort to delay the litigation process.
Apple’s appeal signals that the legal dispute is far from over. As developments continue, we’ll keep you updated on the outcomes and any potential changes for developers and consumers alike.