Apple Doesn't Have to Change App Store Rules Yet, Rules Supreme Court in Ongoing Epic Dispute

[MacRumors]

Apple does not need to change its "anti-steering" App Store rules while its legal dispute with Epic Games continues to play out, the U.S. Supreme Court decided today. Apple can maintain the App Store rules as is while the Supreme Court considers its appeal, according to Bloomberg Law.

Apple's anti-steering rules prevent developers from directing customers to make purchases for digital goods outside of the App Store. In the Epic vs. Apple case that started in 2020, the judge decided that Apple should change its App Store rules to allow developers to direct customers to purchasing mechanisms outside of the App Store, which paves the way for alternate payment methods.

Since 2021, Apple has been able to delay implementing changes pending various appeals. In April 2023, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals sided with the original court and kept the ‌App Store‌ rule change mandate in place. Apple then decided to request that the Supreme Court hear the case.

The appeals court gave Apple 90 days to make a filing with the Supreme Court, and said at that time that Apple did not need to change the rules until the Supreme Court made a decision on whether to hear the case.

Apple has not yet filed with the Supreme Court, but Epic Games made an emergency appeal with U.S. Supreme Court Judge Elena Kagan to ask that Apple be forced to implement the anti-steering rule changes immediately. Kagan ruled against Epic, in yet another major blow to the gaming company.

As a result, Apple can continue to temporarily avoid tweaking the App Store rules. Apple still needs to file its Supreme Court appeal, and the Supreme Court could decide not to hear the case. If that happens, the rule change will need to be implemented right away as the appeals court decision will stand.

Apple has argued that changing the App Store rules will "upset the careful balance between developers and customers provided by the ‌‌‌‌‌App Store‌‌‌‌‌," causing irreparable harm to Apple and consumers.

Article Link: Apple Doesn't Have to Change App Store Rules Yet, Rules Supreme Court in Ongoing Epic Dispute

 

[jz0309]

Apple 1 - Epic 0
Let the games continue

 

[cocky jeremy]

You love to see it. I hope this trial ends Epic.

 

[TVreporter]

The only winners in all of this are Apple's lawyers who are laughing to the bank.

Epic's lawyers will be too while the company sinks.

 

[Realityck]

Its been a Epic battle for naught.

 

[TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️]

Epic just needs to give it up.
Stop with the games and come up with FortNite 2.

 

[jimbobb24]

Reasonable. I think the anti-steering is low hanging fruit as a policy to stop to allow more opportunities for developers.

 

[zarmanto]

You love to see it. I hope this trial ends Epic.

It won't. Epic knew full well that they could take this all the way to the end, well before they broke that contract with Apple. Mind you, prior to their success with Fortnite, that would not have been the case... but Fortnite has genuinely made them that much money, that they knew they could proceed with impunity.

So, for them, it's a calculated risk. They've already won in other international venues, so even if they don't win in the US, they will still have dramatically increased their overall share of the Fortnite in-game revenue. And to them, that's all that really matters.

 

[rgeneral]

Epic needs to open up. We should been able to create our own Fortnite skins store.

 

[ProfessionalFan]

Apple should sue Epic for all their legal fees once this ordeal is over

 

[Lakersfan74]

Apple should just buy Epic

 

[GizmoDVD]

It won't. Epic knew full well that they could take this all the way to the end, well before they broke that contract with Apple. Mind you, prior to their success with Fortnite, that would not have been the case... but Fortnite has genuinely made them that much money, that they knew they could proceed with impunity.

So, for them, it's a calculated risk. They've already won in other international venues, so even if they don't win in the US, they will still have dramatically increased their overall share of the Fortnite in-game revenue. And to them, that's all that really matters.

Epic lost billions already by this stunt by not being on Apple products. Those players left and moved on. Fortnite isn’t as big as it once was.

Epic will fade away

 

[coffeemilktea]

I guess Epic is still going at this, huh? At least everyone knows where all the money from Fortnite cosmetics is going. 🤡

 

[soyazul]

I am just hoping this litigation between Apple and Epic doesn't affect Unreal Engine features on Mac. The Mac needs all Unreal Engine features 100% optimized for Apple Silicon.

 

[charlesdayton]

Why isn’t EpicFail required to accept Apple Pay in their store too?

 

[ProfessionalFan]

Apple should just buy Epic

Tencent owns Epic and Tencent is worth roughly 471 billion USD. As rich as Apple is, that'd be a hefty purchase.

 

[mdriftmeyer]

The only winners in all of this are Apple's lawyers who are laughing to the bank.

Epic's lawyers will be too while the company sinks.

Apple doesn't pay outside counsel. They have a very large legal staff.

 

[ProfessionalFan]

Apple doesn't pay outside counsel. They have a very large legal staff.

Yeah don't they allocate around 1 billion annually to legal?

 

[surfzen21]

"Apple has not yet filed with the Supreme Court, but Epic Games made an emergency appeal with U.S. Supreme Court Judge Elena Kagan to ask that Apple be forced to implement the anti-steering rule changes immediately. Kagan ruled against Epic, in yet another major blow to the gaming company."

LMAO

What a legal misstep by Epic and I think their legal strategy at the USSC may change based on this ruling. Not sure why they thought Kagan would force Apple to impenitent the lower courts ruling while an appeal before the full court will be heard.

 

[ProfessionalFan]

"Apple has not yet filed with the Supreme Court, but Epic Games made an emergency appeal with U.S. Supreme Court Judge Elena Kagan to ask that Apple be forced to implement the anti-steering rule changes immediately. Kagan ruled against Epic, in yet another major blow to the gaming company."

LMAO

What a legal misstep by Epic and I think their legal strategy at the USSC may change based on this ruling. Not sure why they thought Kagan would force Apple to impenitent the lower courts ruling while an appeal before the full court will be heard.

I think that's pretty standard.

 

[surfzen21]

Apple doesn't pay outside counsel. They have a very large legal staff.

Apple, like most big companies, have both in-house counsel and outside counsel that represent them on a litany of issues.

 

[dannyyankou]

Apple should sue Epic for all their legal fees once this ordeal is over

Apple probably has insurance, they probably don't have to pay much in legal fees if they win a case.

 

[surfzen21]

I think that's pretty standard.

Which is exactly why Epic doing this proactively is very strange.

 

[chrfr]

Apple probably has insurance, they probably don't have to pay much in legal fees if they win a case.

A company the size of Apple is almost certainly self-insured.

 

[aidler]

When will the 90 days run out?