Supreme Court Halts Apple App Store Proceedings

Apple Inc. secured a one-day reprieve from the Supreme Court on August 12, as Justice Elena Kagan issued an administrative stay on proceedings in a California trial court. The pause halts further action in the long-running antitrust battle between Apple and Fortnite-maker Epic Games Inc. The stay is scheduled to remain in effect until 5:00 pm Washington time on August 13, providing the court with time to review Apple’s request for a more permanent cessation of lower court actions while the broader appeal is considered.

The current legal tension arises from a civil-contempt finding against Apple regarding its App Store developer fees. Apple has been accused of defying a 2021 injunction that required it to allow developers to link to external payment options. Following the initial ruling, Apple introduced a 27% commission on these external sales, which Epic Games challenged as a circumvention of the court’s order. A federal judge subsequently found Apple in violation of the earlier ruling, leading to a referral for criminal contempt investigation.

While the Supreme Court agreed in June to review the underlying contempt finding, the lower court has pushed forward with hearings on developer compensation. Apple argued in an emergency filing that continued proceedings could be rendered moot by a Supreme Court ruling. US District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers previously denied Apple's request for a stay, maintaining that the current hearings are essential to ensure compliance with the existing injunction. The high court is expected to hear arguments on the matter in December, with the interim stay offering Apple a brief window to pause further lower-court activity.