Proactive Investors - Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL) has petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn an order mandating changes to its app store regulations following an antitrust lawsuit by Epic Games, the developer of 'Fortnite'.
Starting in 2020, the legal feud began when Epic accused Apple of violating U.S. antitrust laws by imposing a 30% commission on in-app payments made through its App Store.
Although Epic lost its claims at trial, a U.S. District Court judge ruled Apple's ban on letting developers inform customers about alternative payment methods violated a California unfair competition law.
Apple was told by the trial court judge to alter these rules for all U.S. app store developers and although the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeal upheld these orders, they are on hold until the Supreme Court decides or declines the case.
Arguing the lower court orders overstep constitutional limits on a federal judge's power, the world’s largest company said the trial judge based their decision on a single developer's case instead of a broader group, leading to a nationwide ban without adequate justification.
"That approach eviscerates the constitutional limitations on federal courts’ authority and, unless corrected by this Court, would render universal injunctions the default remedy in single-plaintiff cases challenging a generally applicable policy," Apple wrote in its court filing.
Epic Games also appealed lower court decisions in the same case, with a Supreme Court decision expected later this year or early next year.