Court Rulings Stir Apple and Epic Games Legal Battle

A federal appeals court reaffirmed a ruling against Apple for non-compliance with an order aimed at opening its app store to outside payment systems. The decision impacts Apple's commission practices on rival platforms. This legal saga, initiated by Epic Games, challenges Apple's control over in-app purchases.

A federal appeals court affirmed a previous ruling holding Apple accountable for defying an order that intended to open its iPhone app store to external payment systems. Apple faced a scalding contempt order from US District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers in a legal dispute initiated by Epic Games.

The Ninth Circuit's 54-page decision mostly supports Gonzalez Rogers' findings but lifted a restriction that barred Apple from collecting commissions from rival payment platforms. Instead, the court instructed her to reevaluate a reasonable commission rate for Apple to impose.

The appeals court confirmed that Apple mismanaged Gonzalez Rogers' effort to enhance payment competition. This case, led by Epic Games, accuses Apple of monopolistic practices by enforcing exclusive in-app payment systems with commissions ranging from 15-30%.

(With inputs from agencies.)