US Supreme Court denies Epic Games appeal in Apple App Store case

Regardless of what happens in court, Apple and Google are already being forced to allow third-party payment systems on their app stores in certain markets like Netherlands and South Korea. (Image Courtesy: Nvidia)

The United States Supreme Court has denied Epic Games' request to overturn a Ninth Circuit decision in the long-standing Apple App Store case.

In 2021, the United States Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a previous decision that stated Apple did not break any federal laws by not allowing third-party payment systems on the App Store.

Also read | Apple cannot ban links to outside App Store payments, US appeals court says

The tiff had originally begun when Apple and Google removed Fortnite from their respective app stores in 2020, citing clauses in their terms of agreement and saying Epic broke their policies by trying to circumvent their payment systems to avoid paying a 30 percent tax to Google and Apple.

In 2021, the lower court ruled in favour of Apple in nine out of ten counts and said that Apple did not hold a monopoly or tried to break federal laws. This did not appease Epic Games who promptly filed a request to overturn the decision in the Supreme Court. The case with Google will go on trial in November, this year.

Also read | Epic Games to appeal ruling in lawsuit against Apple

Regardless of what happens in court, Apple and Google are already being forced to allow third-party payment systems on their app stores in certain markets like the Netherlands and South Korea.

It has been rumoured that Apple will start allowing other payment systems, as soon as this year, largely to comply with European Union (EU) policies.