Epic Games has achieved another procedural victory in its battle with Apple over App Store fees. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit has approved the Fortnite maker’s latest motion. This decision requires Apple to allow developers to use external payment systems in apps without charging fees.
Previously, an order allowed Apple to temporarily halt the App Store changes while seeking Supreme Court review. Epic Games criticized this move as a “delay tactic” and requested the court to reconsider.
The new ruling overturns Apple’s request to delay the changes, benefiting developers and requiring Apple to maintain fee alterations, at least for now.
The case’s final outcome will determine if Apple can charge fees on purchases made outside its U.S. App Store and the potential amount.
Epic celebrated the court’s decision in its favor, highlighting the latest filing which noted, “Apple has failed to show good cause to sustain our prior stay order. Apple has not demonstrated that any proceedings on remand will cause it irreparable harm if our decision is not stayed.”
Essentially, the court remained unconvinced that Apple would face significant harm if the App Store changes were upheld during the ongoing legal proceedings.