Apple Asks Supreme Court to Throw Out App Store Contempt Ruling

In a move to contest a recent contempt ruling, Apple has submitted its initial legal brief to the Supreme Court. The ruling, issued by Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, compelled Apple to modify its App Store regulations. Apple seeks the Supreme Court to overturn or annul the contempt order, which would restore the App Store to its pre-2025 rules.

This legal dispute is intertwined with Apple's ongoing legal conflict with Epic Games, a situation that has grown increasingly complex since it began in 2020. Although Apple initially won the original ruling due to lack of antitrust law violation, the judge mandated changes to Apple's anti-steering rules, allowing developers to link to alternative purchase options in apps.

Apple complied, but applied a 12 to 27 percent fee on link-outs, resulting in limited adoption. Epic subsequently returned to Gonzalez Rogers claiming Apple had breached the injunction, leading to her agreement. In April 2025, she declared Apple in contempt of court and prohibited the company from charging fees on purchases via links in the U.S. App Store.

Apple contested this decision, appealing to the Supreme Court. The brief highlights Apple's primary argument, seeking clarification on whether a court can hold a party in civil contempt for violating the spirit of an injunction, even when the injunction does not stipulate the charges related to the violation. The original injunction by Rogers did not mention the fees Apple was or was not allowed to charge, but both the initial contempt ruling and the appeals court affirmed Apple's violation of the 'spirit' of the injunction due to excessive fees.

Apple's arguments are supported by historical cases dating back to 1885, asserting that the Ninth Circuit court erred by stating Apple could be held in contempt for violating the injunction's spirit without direct textual violation. Apple emphasizes the brevity of the original injunction, which was only 75 words long. The Supreme Court is set to hear the case in 2027, with Epic Games expected to submit its response brief in November, followed by Apple's reply brief.

In the interim, Apple will return to the district court for fee calculations if the higher court does not dismiss the contempt ruling and the associated anti-steering order.