The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday granted Apple’s petition to review a lower court’s contempt finding against the company in its long-running antitrust battle with Fortnite maker Epic Games over App Store policies.
The justices will hear Apple’s appeal of a ruling by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that upheld U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers’ decision finding Apple in civil contempt for violating a 2021 injunction. The case is expected to be argued during the Supreme Court’s next term, which begins in October.
The dispute stems from Epic’s 2020 lawsuit challenging Apple’s control over iOS app distribution and payments. While Apple largely prevailed in the original case, Judge Rogers ordered the company to allow developers to include links in their apps directing users to alternative payment systems outside the App Store.
Apple complied by permitting the links but introduced new terms, including a 27% commission on purchases made through third-party systems within seven days of users clicking an in-app link. Apple’s standard App Store commission is 30%. Epic argued that the new fee structure undermined the spirit of the injunction.
In 2025, Judge Rogers held Apple in contempt. The 9th Circuit upheld the contempt finding in December 2025 but allowed Apple to present new arguments regarding permissible commission rates for certain third-party transactions.
Apple has maintained that it did not violate the court order and argued that the injunction should apply only to Epic, not to millions of other developers. The company warned that the outcome could influence how app purchases are handled globally, with international regulators closely watching the case.
The Epic-Apple litigation has become a landmark fight over Big Tech’s control of digital marketplaces. Epic has accused Apple of monopolistic practices, while Apple has defended its App Store policies as essential to maintaining security, privacy, and a curated user experience.
The Supreme Court’s decision to take up the contempt appeal adds another high-stakes chapter to the ongoing saga. A final resolution could have broad implications for app developers, consumer choices, and Apple’s lucrative services revenue stream.
MacDailyNews Take: The U.S. Supreme Court has wisely agreed to hear Apple’s appeal of the contempt ruling in its endless war with Epic Games. It’s about time the highest court in the land takes a serious look at this judicial overreach.
Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers and the Ninth Circuit have turned a narrow injunction into a never-ending micromanagement session of Apple’s App Store. Apple bent over backward to comply — allowing external payment links while protecting users and its ecosystem — only to get slapped with contempt for daring to charge a reasonable 27% commission on purchases that still leverage Apple’s platform, billing systems, and intellectual property. Epic’s Tim Sweeney, the perpetual sore loser who can’t compete fairly, continues his crusade to freeload off Apple’s hard work while crying “monopoly.”
This case has always been about one thing: Epic wants to undermine the very model that makes the iPhone secure, private, and reliable — all so they can rake in more profits without contributing fairly.
Here’s hoping the Supreme Court reins in this nonsense, limits the scope of overbroad injunctions, and affirms Apple’s right to run its own store on its own devices. The App Store isn’t a public utility, it’s Apple’s intellectual property.
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