The long-running antitrust battle between Apple and Epic Games seemingly concluded Tuesday as the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear either party’s appeals in a case that addressed how (and how much) iPhone users pay for apps.
The Supreme Court will leave in place lower-court rulings that allowed Apple to continue prohibiting iPhone users from downloading apps outside the App Store and from making in-app purchases outside Apple’s payment system.
Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney criticized the Supreme Court’s denial on X, formerly Twitter, calling it “a sad outcome for all developers.” Yet Sweeney’s fight against Apple, which began more than three years ago, has resulted in one lasting change: Apple can no longer prevent app developers from mentioning or linking to alternative payment options outside the App Store.
“As of today, developers can begin exercising their court-established right to tell US customers about better prices on the web,” Sweeney wrote. Apple has not yet responded to a request for comment on the Supreme Court decision.
Upending this “anti-steering rule” was Epic’s sole win when the Cary, North Carolina-based company squared off against Apple in a 2021 U.S. District Court trial. Then last April, the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the district court’s decision, which determined Apple does not maintain an unlawful monopoly via its App Store. Both sides appealed the ruling, setting the stage for a potential Supreme Court showdown.