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2025-12-12 03:54:22
A U.S. federal appeals court has upheld a lower court's contempt of court ruling in the long-running dispute between Epic Games and Apple, ordering a judge to determine how much commission Apple can charge developers for transactions outside its App Store. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco issued a 54-page ruling Thursday, finding that Apple's 27% fee on related transactions violated a lower court's injunction. The ruling affirmed U.S. District Judge Rogers' decision that Apple was in contempt of court. However, the three-judge panel stated that Rogers should reconsider how much commission Apple can charge developers for the use of its intellectual property. The court stated that "Apple is entitled to compensation for the use of intellectual property directly used to allow Epic Games and other parties to complete external purchases." More than five years ago, Epic Games accused Apple of illegally hindering competition in its App Store, igniting the dispute. In April, Rogers ruled that Apple was in contempt of court by intentionally disobeying her 2021 order requiring Apple to allow developers to direct consumers to cheaper online payment methods. Apple's practice of charging 15% to 30% commission on most in-app purchases has long been a source of discontent among developers.
