Apple has asked the U.S. District Court in Northern California to pause the enforcement of new App Store rules following its recent loss to Epic Games.
In the emergency motion filed on Wednesday, Apple requested a stay on the court's injunction, which currently requires the company to allow developers to link to alternative payment methods in their apps.
The court order stems from a years-long legal battle with Epic Games, which began after the Fortnite developer challenged Apple's App Store business model. While the court sided with Apple on most counts, it ruled that the company's anti-steering provisions — which prevent developers from informing users about cheaper payment options outside the App Store — violate California's Unfair Competition Law.
Apple responded to the ruling by saying that it would comply with the injunction but appeal the decision. The appeal was filed earlier this week. If the stay is granted, Apple would be allowed to maintain its current App Store policies until the court decides the fate of Apple's appeal.
A number of high profile apps including Kindle, Patreon, and Spotify have already adapted their apps to take advantage of the new App Store rules in the United States that allow linking to out-of-app payment methods.
Specifically, Apple wants to delay two key mandates:
- A ban on charging commissions for purchases made through links to external payment methods.
- A ban on setting conditions for the style, placement, or language of those links in iOS apps.
Apple argues that these provisions go far beyond the original 2021 injunction, which only barred it from prohibiting links. The new restrictions, Apple says, are “punitive,” create new legal obligations not previously litigated, and would cause irreparable harm by costing it “hundreds of millions to billions” of dollars annually. Apple also claims that the district court violated due process and improperly engaged in price-setting, which it says violates California law and the U.S. Constitution.
Apple maintains it is likely to succeed on appeal and that a stay is needed to prevent harm to its platform and business model. The company asks the Ninth Circuit to issue a ruling by May 28, 2025.
Epic Games issued this response to Apple's emergency motion:
Apple's Motion to Stay is a last ditch effort to block competition and extract massive junk fees at the expense of consumers and developers.
Since the contempt of court decision was issued by the District Court, Apple has faced a surge of genuine competition as developers have updated their apps with better payment methods, better deals, and better consumer choice – all benefiting U.S. consumers as the 2021 injunction originally intended. We are full speed ahead to bring Fortnite to iPhones and iPads in the U.S. this week.
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