We haven’t heard the last of Epic’s crusade against Apple over App Store fees

Epic Games has filed a cert petition with the Supreme Court, urging them to reexamine if Apple’s software business violates federal antitrust laws.

In an ongoing legal battle between the two companies that has spanned five years, Epic Games’ lawsuit against Apple in 2020 led to Fortnite being removed from iOS. This controversy arose when Epic intentionally broke App Store rules by introducing a direct payment method for in-game currency.

Although Apple largely won the appeals court fight earlier this year, there was a small victory for Epic when a federal judge ruled that Apple violated California’s Unfair Competition Law. However, Justice Elena Kagan rejected Epic’s request to allow developers to direct iPhone users to payment options other than those within Apple’s ecosystem.

The Path to the Supreme Court

Epic Games’ recent cert petition marks another attempt to challenge Apple’s App Store policies. The Supreme Court will soon decide whether or not they will hear the case, potentially reigniting the legal battle between the two companies. Apple is expected to file a petition as well, opposing a previous ruling that favored some of Epic’s complaints.

With the prospect of the case going before the Supreme Court, Epic aims to gain support from developers and push for more flexibility in iOS app distribution. As of now, Apple’s existing rules remain unchanged unless the Supreme Court decides not to intervene.