Apple (AAPL, Financials) is appealing a federal judge's finding of contempt in its ongoing antitrust battle with Epic Games over App Store rules.
Apple filed a notice on Monday asking the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to review an April 30 ruling that said the company violated a 2021 court order tied to a prior injunction. The case stems from a 2020 lawsuit filed by Epic Games, which challenged Apple's payment system restrictions on iOS apps.
U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers accused Apple of acting in “direct defiance” of her injunction by introducing a 27% fee for off-platform purchases and implementing on-screen warnings — called “scare screens” — to steer users away from third-party payment options.
The judge referred Apple and one of its executives to federal prosecutors for a possible criminal contempt inquiry. She also declined to stay her order, criticizing Apple for misleading the court and delaying enforcement.
Apple denied violating the injunction and did not include specific legal arguments in its appeal filing.
The case renews regulatory scrutiny over Apple's App Store, where the company generates billions in revenue annually from app transactions.
- See Apple's financial data.
- Explore Apple's fundamentals.
