Court Rejects Apple's Emergency Motion Against Epic Games Victory in the U.S.

A U.S. court has denied Apple's emergency motion to halt a ruling that allows developers in the App Store to include external payment links without incurring fees. This decision marks a significant step in the ongoing legal battle between Apple and Epic Games, the creator of Fortnite.

Since May, Apple has been required to permit apps in its App Store to add links to external websites for in-app purchases, a move that could potentially undermine Apple's revenue model. Apple attempted to block this ruling, arguing that it could lead to substantial financial losses, but the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals found no compelling reason to grant their request.

In a prior ruling by Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, it was determined that Apple could not prohibit Epic Games and other app developers from embedding links to their websites where users could make purchases directly, thus avoiding Apple's commission fees of up to 27%. The court's decision also prohibits Apple from implementing warning dialogues that might deter users from utilizing these links.

In response to the ruling, both Spotify and Epic Games have already begun to integrate payment links into their apps. Spotify was able to implement this change quickly, while Epic Games had to comply with a subsequent court order to do so.

Apple's legal team filed an appeal, seeking to suspend the enforcement of the ruling while the case is ongoing, citing potential losses that could amount to hundreds of millions or even billions of dollars annually. They claimed that the court's orders were unlawful, arguing that Apple should retain the right to charge a commission on linked purchases made on the web, as this was not part of the original injunction.

Additionally, Apple expressed concerns that the court's ruling infringes upon its First Amendment rights, as it would necessitate the dissemination of statements by competing developers, including negative comments about Apple's in-app purchase system.

The legal proceedings will continue, but for now, Apple must comply with the court's order allowing payment links in the App Store.