Supreme Court: Apple doesn't need to open App Store payments yet
Justice Elena Kagan refuses Epic's request to undo delay of order that devs be able to bypass Apple's payments system
The Supreme Court has refused Epic Games' attempt to have Apple's App Store rules changed immediately, according to a Reuters report.
It's the latest escalation of the 2021 court case between the two companies. That fight began with Epic's attempt to sell Fortnite virtual currency directly to iOS users without going through Apple's App Store payments processing system, denying the platform its usual 30% cut of revenues.
That case ended with US District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers siding with Apple on all but one count, and ordering the iPhone maker to drop anti-steering practices and open up the App Store so developers can use alternative payment processors.
Apple appealed the ruling and in December, a panel of judges postponed the order to open up App Store payments until the company's appeal of the case is settled.
A US appeals court agreed with the initial ruling on all counts earlier this year, but the original order to open up payments remains on pause while Apple prepares an appeal to the Supreme Court.