US Supreme Court Declines to Hear Apple vs. Epic Games Case

The United States Supreme Court today declined to hear separate requests from both Apple and Epic Games in their long-standing lawsuit against each other with regards to App Store rules.

app store blue banner epic 1
Apple made the request in September 2023, asking the Supreme Court to hear its appeal about the portion of its legal dispute that was ruled in Epic's favor. This was Apple's so-called "anti-steering" rule that bars developers of many iOS apps from directing users to methods of purchase available outside of the ‌App Store‌, circumventing Apple's revenue cut.

The Supreme Court also declined to hear a request from Epic Games to make a ruling on the case. The Supreme Court was the last stop for ‌Epic Games‌ after it lost an appeal earlier this year. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in April 2023 sided with the lower court and ruled that Apple's ‌App Store‌ rules do not violate antitrust law by not allowing for third-party marketplaces.

The dispute between Apple and Epic dates back to 2020 with Epic seeking to overturn Apple's ‌App Store‌ rules requiring content purchases within iOS apps to go through Apple, which takes a 15% to 30% cut of the revenue.

In multiple rounds of the dispute, Apple has won on every count with the exception of just one regarding Apple's "anti-steering" rule. In July 2023, a judge ruled that Apple did not have to make changes to its policies.

As a result of the Supreme Court's decision today, the previous rulings stand and Apple is able to continue to disallow third-party payment processing within apps, but will have to allow developers to inform users about other purchasing options outside of the ‌App Store‌.

Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Popular Stories

sonny iphone 16 pro colors

All Four iPhone 16 Pro Colors Revealed in New Image

Friday August 16, 2024 4:14 am PDT by
Leaker Sonny Dickson is back today with a new dummy unit image showing all four iPhone 16 Pro color variants, including the rose gold or "bronze" unit that replaces Blue Titanium in the existing iPhone 15 Pro models. The iPhone 16 Pro models are expected to come in black, white or silver, gray or "Natural Titanium," and a rose or rose gold color replacing Blue Titanium, according to Apple...
iPhone 16 Pro Right Side Feature

The iPhone 16 is Getting a New Button: Here's What It Can Do

Tuesday August 13, 2024 4:01 pm PDT by
Multiple rumors have suggested that the iPhone 16 models are going to have an all-new button that's designed to make it easier to capture photos when the devices are held in landscape mode. Apple calls the button the Capture Button internally, and it is going to be one of the most advanced buttons that's been introduced to date with support for multiple gestures and the ability to respond to ...
iPhone 16 Pro Sizes Feature

iPhone 16 Launch Is Just One Month Out – Here's Everything We Know

Saturday August 10, 2024 5:00 am PDT by
Apple typically releases its new iPhone series in the fall, and a possible September 10 announcement date has been floated this year, which means we are just one month away from the launch of the iPhone 16. Like the iPhone 15 series, this year's lineup is expected to stick with four models – iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max – although there are plenty of design...
iPhone 16 Pro Sizes Feature

When Is the iPhone 16 Coming Out?

Wednesday August 14, 2024 6:20 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone 16 series is expected to debut in September 2024. This release follows Apple's trend of introducing new iPhone models annually in the fall. While the exact date has yet to be officially confirmed, the day of Tuesday, September 10 has been rumored as a possible announcement date, and September has traditionally been the month when Apple unveils its latest smartphone innovations. ...
maxresdefault

Apple Aiming to Launch Tabletop Robotic Home Device as Soon as 2026 With Pricing Around $1,000

Wednesday August 14, 2024 11:30 am PDT by
Apple is moving forward with its project to develop a tabletop robotic device, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. The device would feature a large iPad-like display mounted on a "thin robotic arm" that would allow the display to tilt and up and down and rotate a full 360º, and it would serve as a "smart home command center," a...
M4 Mac mini Silver Ortho Cooler

These New Macs Are Coming in 2024

Thursday August 15, 2024 4:34 pm PDT by
It's almost September, but Apple still has multiple new product launches planned for 2024. New iPhone 16 models and Apple Watches are coming in September, and we're also going to get at least three Mac updates with M4 chips this year, according to rumors. Here's what's on the horizon. MacBook Pro Apple plans to refresh both the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models, adding M4 chips. The ...
T Mobile Generic Feature Pink 1

United States Fines T-Mobile $60 Million for Failing to Prevent Unauthorized Access to Sensitive Customer Data

Thursday August 15, 2024 1:32 pm PDT by
T-Mobile was fined $60 million by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the US (CFIUS) for negligence surrounding data breaches, reports Reuters. CFIUS penalized T-Mobile for failing to prevent or disclose unauthorized access to sensitive customer data. When T-Mobile merged with Sprint, it signed a national security agreement with CFIUS, which is what led to the fine earlier this year....

Top Rated Comments

spazzcat Avatar
8 months ago

I think this was the right decision but I would've liked the SCOTUS to rule on it so the case can be settled.
It is settled now.
Score: 32 Votes (Like | Disagree)
icanhazmac Avatar
8 months ago

As a result of the Supreme Court's decision today, the previous rulings stand and Apple is able to continue to disallow third-party payment processing within apps
Great news! While anyone can get hacked I trust the Apple payment processor far more than some no-name discount outfit an indy dev might use to save $$. Epic, most likely, wouldn't cheap out but others will.
Score: 29 Votes (Like | Disagree)
bayportbob Avatar
8 months ago
until something really happens that would change my mind on this topic, I believe the Supreme Court made the correct determination on this matter...
Score: 27 Votes (Like | Disagree)
spazzcat Avatar
8 months ago

so this is finally over?

like, finally?

glad to see it. Epic chose a battle stupid enough to live up to the company name, lost, tried every single legal avenue available to reverse that, and still lost. been quite the 4-year trip.
And they lost millions in App Store revenue. Their CEO should be fired.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
spazzcat Avatar
8 months ago

The Supreme Court gets far more appeals than they can handle. Denials to hear are because they agree with the lower court's ruling, lack of time, or both. I don't know what the deal is with either of these appeals. Although these appeals are settled, case law isn't settled until the Supreme Court rules.
Declining to hear is a ruling, they are ruling the lower court is correct.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
phenste Avatar
8 months ago
so this is finally over?

like, finally?

glad to see it. Epic chose a battle stupid enough to live up to the company name, lost, tried every single legal avenue available to reverse that, and still lost. been quite the 4-year trip.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)