Apple Asks Court to Pause App Store Fee Fight While It Petitions Supreme Court in Epic Games Case
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| Source: Mastodon | Original article
Apple’s latest bid to shield its App Store revenue stream was rebuffed on Thursday when a three‑judge panel of the Ninth Circuit refused to stay a district‑court order that forces the company to allow developers to steer users to external payment sites without paying the usual 15‑30 % commission. The request, filed in San Francisco federal court, was part of a broader strategy to pause the fee‑fight while Apple simultaneously petitions the U.S. Supreme Court in the high‑profile Epic Games case.
The appellate decision means Apple must now comply with the lower‑court ruling that effectively opens the iPhone ecosystem to “link‑out” purchases. Developers can embed direct‑to‑web checkout links, bypassing Apple’s in‑app purchase (IAP) system and the associated fees that have long been a source of contention. For Apple, the loss threatens a substantial portion of its services revenue, which in 2025 accounted for roughly 20 % of total earnings. The company warned that the ruling could cost “substantial sums” and undermine the security and user‑experience guarantees it markets around the App Store.
The move is tightly linked to the Epic Games lawsuit, where the game‑maker argues that Apple’s control over iOS distribution and payments violates antitrust law. Apple’s petition to the Supreme Court seeks to overturn a separate district‑court verdict that ordered the tech giant to allow alternative payment options for Epic’s Fortnite. By asking the appeals court to pause the fee‑order, Apple hoped to keep the status quo while the higher‑court battle unfolds.
What to watch next: the Supreme Court’s briefing schedule and any oral arguments on the Epic case, which could set a nationwide precedent for app‑store regulation. Developers are likely to test the new link‑out pathways, and regulators in the EU and other jurisdictions may cite the U.S. rulings in their own antitrust probes. Apple’s next financial reports will reveal how quickly the fee loss translates into earnings pressure.
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