Apple will appeal to the Supreme Court, hoping to undo App Store order in Epic Games case

According to a Reuters report, Apple plans to overturn a previous district court ruling, which mandated that the tech giant must allow certain apps to make payments through third-party transaction channels, by appealing to the US Supreme Court.

Previously, the US Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in a litigation dispute between Apple and Epic Games, concluding that Apple did not violate any anti-trust laws and upheld the initial verdict. Nevertheless, the court had previously determined that Apple’s restriction on diverse transaction methods jeopardized consumer rights, ultimately compelling Apple to permit specific apps to process payments via third-party transaction channels.

Apple’s appointed attorney stated in the appeal documents that the court’s ruling exceeded the scope of the litigation between Apple and Epic Games, as well as the jurisdiction of the district court. Therefore, they seek to nullify the prior decision of the district court through a Supreme Court ruling.

However, due to new regulations in the European Union requiring Apple to allow iOS device users to access app content through third-party app marketplaces before 2024, Apple will inevitably face necessary adjustments to the App Store’s business model, regardless of the success of their appeal against the district court’s ruling.