Judge rejects Epic Games’ request to allow payment links in the App Store

The US Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday that Apple does not have to allow links to alternative payment methods in iOS apps while the tech giant’s cassation appeal is still pending. Epic Games’ request has therefore been rejected.

Last month, Apple decided to appeal a ruling by the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. It determined that Apple must allow payment links in iOS apps in the App Store, which corresponds to an earlier ruling from September 2021.

Epic Games wanted this decision to be implemented immediately and filed a request with the Supreme Court. The company claimed in that Supreme Court that allowing Apple’s App Store rules would “harm not only Epic, but countless consumers and other app developers for a significant period of time.” From court documents it turns out that Epic’s request was rejected, Reuters noticed. It is not further explained why exactly the request was rejected.

Apple’s decision to appeal to the Supreme Court is its last chance to overturn the ruling. In cassation cases, the substantive content of the case is not re-examined, but a court assesses whether errors have been made by lower judges who heard the case.

The dispute between Epic Games and Apple has been going on for two years now. Epic sued Apple in 2021, saying the latter had a monopoly on app stores by not opening iOS to alternative app stores. The judge largely did not agree; In the ruling, the judge said that Apple is not a monopolist and that the company does not have to comply with most of Epic’s demands, such as opening up iOS. The judge did order Apple to allow external links for payments in apps from now on, so that customers can also see links that allow them to subscribe or make a purchase outside the App Store.