A U.S. appeals panel has rejected Apple’s request to pause a ruling that restricts the tech giant from charging commissions on in-app purchases made outside its payment system—delivering a major blow to the company in its long-running legal fight with Epic Games.
Apple suffered a legal setback late Thursday as a three-judge panel denied its request to delay the enforcement of a court order that bans the company from collecting commissions on in-app purchases processed outside its App Store payment system.
The ruling, stemming from a years-long antitrust battle with Epic Games, could redirect billions in potential revenue away from Apple. The April 30 order, issued by U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez-Rogers, not only limited Apple’s commissions but also found the company in civil contempt and recommended a criminal probe into potential perjury by one of its executives.
The ongoing case, launched nearly five years ago by Fortnite creator Epic Games, accuses Apple of maintaining an unlawful monopoly over iPhone app distribution and in-app transactions. Epic challenged Apple’s practice of charging developers 15% to 30% commission and restricting them from directing users to other payment methods.
Although Apple initially complied with previous rulings by allowing limited links to external payment systems, it continued imposing fees of up to 27%—prompting Epic to argue the company had violated the court’s original order. Judge Gonzalez-Rogers sided with Epic in her most recent decision, triggering Apple’s attempt to pause enforcement while appealing to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
With that request now denied, the court’s directive remains in effect, forcing Apple to open the App Store to alternative in-app payment options without charging commissions on those transactions.
In response to the ruling, Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney declared, “The long national nightmare of the Apple tax is ended,” in a celebratory post.
Apple expressed disappointment in the outcome, stating it would continue to pursue its appeal to “ensure the App Store remains an incredible opportunity for developers and a safe and trusted experience for our users.”
This development marks another chapter in the high-profile antitrust showdown that has tested the boundaries of Big Tech power and could have lasting consequences for digital commerce on mobile platforms.
U.S. military forces have seized a sanctioned oil tanker in the Indian Ocean after tracking it from Caribbean waters, the Pentagon said on Tuesday (24...
The Taliban in Kabul has rejected Russian claims that more than 23,000 militants from around 20 international terror groups are currently operating wi...
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday (24 February) urged Ukraine’s allies to maintain their backing as the war with Russia entered its fourth ye...
Seven people were killed after gunmen ambushed a police patrol in Kohat, a district in Pakistan’s north-west near the Afghan border, on Tuesday, in ...
Kazakhstan says it's allocated $2.2 million to strengthen scientific monitoring of the Caspian Sea amid growing concern over falling water levels, bio...
The Taliban in Kabul has rejected Russian claims that more than 23,000 militants from around 20 international terror groups are currently operating within Azerbaijan.
Kazakhstan says it's allocated $2.2 million to strengthen scientific monitoring of the Caspian Sea amid growing concern over falling water levels, biodiversity loss and rising industrial pressure on the world’s largest inland body of water.
Robert Carradine, best known for his roles in The Long Riders, Revenge of the Nerds and the television series Lizzie McGuire, has died at the age of 71 following a years-long battle with mental illness.
An Iranian military helicopter crashed in the city of Dorcheh, in Iran on Tuesday (24 February), causing the death of the pilot, co-pilot and two market sellers, state media reported.
Italy said a fond farewell to the Winter Olympics on Sunday with an open-air ceremony in the ancient Verona Arena that celebrated art and sporting achievement at a Games lauded as a model for how to stage such events.
The United States and Iran will hold a new round of nuclear negotiations in Geneva on Thursday as part of renewed diplomatic efforts to reach a potential agreement, Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi announced on Sunday.
Further Iran-U.S. nuclear talks are scheduled in Geneva on Thursday (26 February) as diplomacy resumes over Tehran’s nuclear programme following earlier mediation efforts. But will the talks move Iran-U.S. negotiations closer to a deal, and what should be expected from the meeting?
Mexican authorities said on Sunday that Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as El Mencho and head of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), was killed during a military operation in the western state of Jalisco.
The European Parliament’s trade chief has urged a temporary suspension of the EU–U.S. trade agreement approval, citing “tariff chaos” following President Donald Trump’s new 15% tariffs and a U.S. Supreme Court ruling invalidating his previous global tariff programme.
Millions of Colombian roses have arrived in the United States just in time for Valentine’s Day, keeping the country on track as the world’s second-largest flower exporter. Between 15 January and 9 February, Colombia shipped roughly 65,000 tons of fresh-cut blooms.
Russia’s car market is continuing to receive tens of thousands of foreign-brand vehicles via China despite sanctions imposed after Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, a journalistic investigation has found.
Türkiye’s national energy company, TPAO, has struck a new cooperation deal with U.S. energy giant Chevron, signing a memorandum of understanding to explore joint oil and gas exploration and production opportunities, the Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Ministry announced on Thursday.
Wall Street ended sharply lower on Tuesday as investors worried about artificial intelligence (AI) creating more competition for software makers, keeping them on edge ahead of quarterly reports from Alphabet and Amazon later this week.
U.S. stock markets finished mixed on Wednesday (28 January) as investors reacted calmly after the Federal Reserve left interest rates unchanged, a decision that had been widely expected and largely priced in.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment