Epic wants Apple punished for following letter but not spirit of the ruling

Epic Games has officially requested the Supreme Court to maintain its contempt ruling against Apple, regarding the restrictions on App Store payment methods. This comes after a drawn-out legal conflict that began in 2020, when Epic sued Apple for removing Fortnite from the App Store. While the court initially sided with Apple, it did instruct the company to cease preventing developers from directing users to alternative payment methods outside the App Store.

Apple complied, but later imposed additional restrictions, such as a 27% commission on external purchases and new rules limiting the display of buttons and links to alternative payment methods. Epic challenged these new restrictions, leading the court to deem Apple in civil contempt. Apple has since made multiple attempts to overturn the ruling, claiming the original injunction did not explicitly forbid the implemented restrictions.

Epic, on the other hand, asserts that Apple deliberately bypassed the court order by introducing new rules intended to achieve the same result. In May, Apple appealed to the Supreme Court, which confirmed the case in June. Apple's opening brief, submitted in September, argues that the court must enforce the letter of an injunction rather than its broader intent.

Epic responds, saying Apple "attempts to avoid contempt by proposing an extreme legal standard." The case is set for oral arguments on January 11, 2027.