The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear appeals from both Epic Games and Apple in their ongoing legal battle over the App Store, leaving the lower court’s ruling as is. This decision effectively upholds the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals’ findings that Apple did not violate federal antitrust laws through its control of the App Store.
The lower court also ruled in Epic’s favor on one key point, requiring Apple to allow developers to direct users to external payment methods within their apps. While this requirement represents a minor victory for Epic, the broader decision is a significant setback for its efforts to break down Apple’s walled garden around the App Store. So Epic won the battle for everyone else but lost it for themselves.
The requirement for in-app payment options could pave the way for further regulatory scrutiny of Apple’s App Store practices, but Fortnite may not see that benefit. Epic had argued that Apple’s 30% commission on in-app purchases constituted illegal monopolistic behavior, but the courts disagreed. The Supreme Court’s decision caps a four-year legal saga that began with Epic’s deliberate violation of Apple’s App Store rules within the popular game Fortnite.
This led to the game’s removal from the store and sparked a larger legal battle over the antitrust implications of Apple’s control over its mobile software ecosystem. While the legal battle is technically over, its implications for the future of app stores and antitrust regulation remain significant. The court’s refusal to hear the case does not set a binding precedent, leaving the potential for future challenges to similar policies from other app store platforms.
The court’s decision also drew comments from Twitter, with some noting the apparent contradiction between the ruling against Google’s app store practices and the one favoring Apple. While acknowledging the complexities of individual cases, Stephen Totilo, a reporter for Game File, pointed to the potential inconsistency in judicial interpretation of antitrust laws when applied to different technology giants.
Both Apple and Epic will likely remain entrenched in their positions. Apple likely sees the ruling as a validation of its business model, while Epic continues to express disappointment and explore alternative avenues to challenge Apple’s control over its platform. We still have yet to see the broad consequences of this.
