Court Orders Apple To Maintain External Payment Links As Epic Games Secures Procedural Win

Epic Games has secured a procedural victory against Apple, as a U.S. appeals court ruled that Apple must continue allowing developers to include links to external payment options without charging commissions, while the legal dispute remains ongoing.

Appeals Court Reverses Pause On App Store Changes
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit granted Epic’s motion, reversing a prior decision that had allowed Apple to pause proceedings tied to mandated App Store changes. That earlier pause had been requested by Apple as it sought review from the Supreme Court.

With the reversal, Apple must maintain the current policy that permits developers to direct users to alternative payment methods outside the App Store without applying commissions on those transactions.

Legal Dispute Centers On External Payment Commissions
The broader case will determine whether Apple can impose fees on purchases made outside its U.S. App Store and, if so, at what level. The current ruling does not resolve that question but ensures that the existing changes remain in effect during ongoing litigation.

Court Rejects Apple’s Argument On Potential Harm
In its filing, the court stated that Apple did not demonstrate sufficient justification to maintain the pause. The judges wrote that Apple failed to show that continuing proceedings would result in irreparable harm if the stay were lifted.

Epic Games Responds To Latest Decision
Epic Games, known for developing Fortnite, described Apple’s earlier request for a pause as a delay tactic and welcomed the court’s latest decision. The company pointed to the court’s reasoning as support for keeping the App Store changes active while the case proceeds.

Featured image credits: Sergey Galyonkin via Flickr

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