Apple filed an appeal on Monday to challenge a U.S. judge’s decision that ordered the company to immediately open its App Store to more competition.
The appeal, lodged with the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco, seeks to overturn a ruling made on April 30. The ruling found Apple in contempt of a previous court order stemming from a 2020 antitrust lawsuit filed by Epic Games.
U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers determined that Apple had willfully failed to comply with a 2021 injunction aimed at allowing developers to guide consumers to cheaper, non-Apple payment options. In her decision, Judge Gonzalez Rogers also referred Apple and one of its executives to federal prosecutors for potential criminal contempt charges, accusing the company of misleading the court and delaying its compliance.
“Apple sought to maintain a revenue stream worth billions in direct defiance of this court’s injunction,” the judge stated.
Apple, which has denied violating the court’s order, has outlined its legal arguments in the appeal notice. The lawsuit, filed by popular video game Fortnite maker Epic Games, aimed to challenge Apple’s control over transactions within apps on its iOS platform and its distribution of apps.
As part of the ruling, Judge Gonzalez Rogers ordered Apple to halt practices that circumvented the previous injunction, including a 27% fee on app developers for transactions made outside the App Store. She also prohibited Apple from using “scare screens” to discourage consumers from using third-party payment methods.
Apple’s appeal will now be reviewed by the 9th Circuit, as the company continues its legal battle to maintain control over its App Store practices.
