Apple files appeal after court order on App Store fees in Epic Games case: Report

Apple has filed a notice of appeal to the Ninth Circuit after a major setback in its legal fight with Epic Games, reports The Verge. The appeal challenges a ruling from last week that bars the iPhone maker from arguing developers fees on purchases made outside the App Store.
Ruling in favour of Epic Games, Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers said that Apple’s actions breached the earlier court order. She also criticized Apple’s conduct during the case, saying that Alex Roman, Apple's Vice President of Finance, lied under oath. In addition, Judge Rogers sanctioned Apple for delaying the case by misusing attorney-client privilege claims.
Apple’s latest appeal aims to overturn these rulings and defend its current App Store practices.

The legal battle between Epic Games and Apple began in 2020 when Epic Games tried to bypass Apple’s in-app payment system in its popular game Fortnite. Epic Games then introduced a direct payment option inside the app, which allowed users to pay Epic Games directly — avoiding Apple’s 30% commission on App Store purchases.
Apple responded by removing Fortnite from the App Store, leading Epic Games to sue Apple. Epic argued that Apple was running a monopoly by forcing developers to use its payment system and by restricting app distribution to only the App Store on iPhones.
In 2021, U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers ruled that Apple must allow developers to direct users to external payment methods, effectively banning Apple’s "anti-steering" rules. However, the court did not find Apple to be a monopoly under federal antitrust law, and Epic was ordered to pay damages for breaching its contract with Apple.
Last week, judge Gonzalez Rogers ruled that Apple must immediately stop charging commissions on purchases made outside its App Store, dealing a major blow to the tech giant's control over its lucrative app ecosystem.
Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney then celebrated the decision, declaring on social media: "NO FEES on web transactions. Game over for the Apple Tax. Apple's 15-30% junk fees are now just as dead here in the United States of America as they are in Europe."