Apple Gets Temporary Supreme Court Pause in Epic Games App Store Case

Apple has received a temporary pause from the US Supreme Court in its ongoing legal dispute with Epic Games over App Store payment rules.

The Supreme Court has given Apple an additional 24 hours before it must respond to a California court order about the commission it may charge on purchases made through payment options outside the App Store.

The dispute goes back to an injunction issued by US District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers. The order required Apple to let developers direct users to alternative payment methods outside the App Store.

Apple Gets Temporary Supreme Court Pause in Epic Games App Store Case

Apple allowed developers to use external payment links but introduced a 27% commission on purchases made through those links. Judge Gonzalez Rogers later ruled that Apple had violated the injunction and found the company in contempt.

Apple challenged the contempt ruling and asked the Supreme Court to review the decision. The high court agreed to take up the case.

However, the proceedings in the lower court have continued while the Supreme Court reviews the contempt issue. Judge Gonzalez Rogers is now considering what commission, if any, Apple should be allowed to charge on purchases made outside the App Store.

Apple previously asked the judge to pause these proceedings until the Supreme Court completes its review. The request was rejected on August 11. The judge then ordered Apple to submit its proposed commission rate and supporting evidence by 5 p.m. on August 12.

Apple responded by taking the matter directly to the Supreme Court with an emergency request for a temporary pause.

Justice Elena Kagan granted a temporary administrative stay. The order stops the lower-court proceedings until 5 p.m. Thursday, giving the Supreme Court additional time to consider Apple’s request for a longer stay.

The temporary order does not mean Apple has won the larger dispute. It only delays the lower-court proceedings while the Supreme Court considers whether to extend the pause.

If the Supreme Court grants a longer stay, the proceedings over Apple’s outside-App-Store commission could remain on hold while the justices review the contempt ruling.

The case remains an important legal battle for Apple’s App Store business. Its outcome could affect how Apple handles alternative payment systems and how much control it can maintain over purchases made outside its platform.

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