Apple has asked a U.S. District Court to pause enforcement of a court-ordered overhaul to its App Store rules, as the tech giant moves to appeal a recent loss to Epic Games.
The emergency motion, filed Wednesday in the Northern District of California, seeks to delay two key mandates that Apple says go beyond the original injunction and could inflict major financial harm.
Apple Challenges Expanded App Store Rules
The legal dispute began in 2020 when Epic Games sued Apple over its App Store model. In a 2021 decision, the court sided with Apple on most issues but ruled that its anti-steering provisions—restrictions preventing developers from linking to cheaper external payment methods—violated California’s Unfair Competition Law.
As we previously reported, Epic CEO Tim Sweeney said the lawsuit, despite costing over $1 billion, was necessary to break Apple’s control over app distribution and payments. Since the court’s ruling, apps like Spotify, Kindle, and Patreon have begun offering users external payment options.
Now, Apple is asking the court to delay enforcement of two newly expanded mandates that go beyond the original 2021 order:
- Ban on charging commissions for purchases made through external payment links.
- Ban on setting conditions for the placement, design, or language of those links within iOS apps.
Apple claims these additions weren’t previously litigated and could cost the company “hundreds of millions to billions” of dollars annually.
Legal and Financial Stakes Mount
In its motion, Apple argues the new terms are “punitive,” violate due process, and amount to unlawful price-setting under both California law and the U.S. Constitution. The company says it is likely to win on appeal and that the court should delay enforcement to avoid permanent damage to its business model.
According to Apple’s filing on Wednesday, the company wants the Ninth Circuit to rule on its request for a stay by May 28, 2025.
Epic Games responded with a sharp rebuke, calling the motion “a last ditch effort to block competition and extract massive junk fees.” The company says developers are already improving their apps under the new rules, offering better deals and more options for U.S. consumers. It also confirmed Fortnite’s return to iPhones and iPads this week.
The legal battle continues to reshape the way digital platforms handle payments—and the outcome could define how much control Apple keeps over its App Store in the years ahead.