As expected, Apple has formally appealed the recent court ruling that compelled it to allow developers to direct customers towards external payment options outside of its App Store. The appeal follows a stern rebuke last week from U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, who chastised Apple for attempting to sidestep the court’s earlier injunction issued amid its long-standing legal battle with Epic Games, makers of Fortnite.
Initially, Apple responded to the court order by creating a system where developers could request special entitlements—exceptions to its standard App Store rules. Even then, the company defiantly imposed a hefty 27% commission on sales processed through these third-party payment avenues and implemented intimidating full-screen warnings, cautioning customers against purchasing outside the App Store due to alleged safety concerns.
In her pointed ruling, Judge Rogers explicitly clarified to Apple that the decision was an injunction, “not a negotiation.” She called out the tech giant over its attempt at evasion through imposing burdensome conditions. Beyond these criticisms, the judge also put Apple’s struggles into sharper focus by accusing Apple VP of Finance, Alex Roman, of perjury during testimony, referring the matter to the U.S. Attorney’s office to investigate possible criminal contempt charges.
Following this severe rebuke, Apple swiftly complied with the original ruling. The company modified App Store regulations for U.S. developers, accepting app updates—such as Spotify’s recent one—that openly directed customers toward external payment channels.
However, Apple made clear it intended no surrender. Upon announcing initial compliance, the company expressed deep disagreement with the court’s ruling and vowed to continue contesting it. Apple fulfilled this pledge on Monday, officially filing its notice of appeal.
For now, Apple is committed to adhering strictly to the judicial directive as it moves through the appellate process. However, observers within the industry speculate that the company might pursue other strategies to incentivize developers to stick with Apple’s own payment system. Potential strategies being discussed include unveiling discounted commissions for broader groups of developers at the upcoming Worldwide Developers Conference in June—expanding benefits beyond the narrow audience currently eligible through Apple’s Small Business Program.
