US Supreme Court to hear Apple appeal of contempt in Epic Games lawsuit

Mike Scarcella

Tue, June 30, 2026 astatine 11:10 AM CDT 2 min read

By Mike Scarcella

WASHINGTON, June 30 (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court agreed connected Tuesday to perceive Apple's bid to flight being recovered successful contempt successful its ineligible combat with "Fortnite" shaper ‌Epic Games aft the iPhone shaper was deemed successful usurpation of a judicial bid mandating sweeping ‌changes to its lucrative App Store successful the antitrust litigation.

The justices took up Apple's entreaty of a little court's ruling upholding ​a determination by Oakland, California-based U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers uncovering Apple successful contempt successful Epic's 2020 suit contesting App Store fees.

The Supreme Court is expected to perceive the lawsuit successful its adjacent term, which begins successful October.

The suit by Cary, North Carolina-based Epic Games challenged Apple's power implicit transactions successful applications that ‌use the company's iOS operating strategy and ⁠its restrictions connected however apps are distributed to consumers.

Apple and Epic person clashed for years implicit the rules governing Apple's App Store. The contempt ruling and the ⁠scope of Apple's court-ordered obligations are the latest issues successful the quality to scope the Supreme Court. Apple has said the ineligible issues successful the litigation volition impact however millions of app purchases are made.

Cupertino, California-based Apple ​mostly defeated ​Epic's lawsuit, but was required successful a 2021 injunction ​issued by Rogers to fto developers see ‌links successful their apps directing users to non-Apple outgo methods.

Apple allowed the links but adopted caller restrictions, including a 27% committee connected developers for purchases made connected outgo systems extracurricular the App Store wrong 7 days of clicking a link. Apple charges developers a 30% committee for purchases wrong the App Store.

Epic argued that the caller 27% committee flouted the earlier injunction. In 2025, Rogers recovered Apple successful civilian contempt ‌for violating the injunction.

The San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court ​of Appeals successful December upheld the judge's contempt uncovering but ​let Apple marque caller arguments astir what ​commission it should beryllium allowed to complaint for integer goods bought successful apps distributed ‌through the App Store but paid for utilizing ​third-party systems.

That caller effort ​has not yet begun successful the territory tribunal successful Oakland.

Apple has denied violating the judge's bid and argued to the Supreme Court that the injunction should not beryllium applied to millions of ​developers beyond Epic Games.

"Regulators astir the ‌world are watching this lawsuit to find what committee complaint Apple whitethorn complaint connected covered ​purchases successful immense markets extracurricular the United States," Apple told the Supreme Court successful ​a filing.

(Reporting by Mike Scarcella; Editing by Will Dunham)