Court Upholds Apple’s Authority to Set ‘Reasonable’ App Store Fees

In a recent development, a US appellate court has ruled in favor of Apple, allowing the tech giant to collect a commission on in-app purchases made via external links in iOS apps. This ruling comes as a partial reversal of the sanctions imposed on Apple following a legal battle with Epic Games, where Apple was found to have violated an injunction willfully.

Previously, a ruling in April required Apple to permit developers to include external links in their apps for purchasing options outside the App Store without unnecessary complications. This allowed apps like Fortnite and Spotify to promote deals within their apps, directing users to their websites for purchases.

However, Apple faced backlash for charging a 27% commission on purchases made outside the App Store, which was deemed excessive by many. Epic Games took the matter to court, accusing Apple of “malicious compliance” for still charging high commissions and complicating the use of external purchasing methods.

In April 2025, Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers barred Apple from charging any commission on purchases made through in-app links, stating that Apple had defied the court’s original injunction and acted in an anti-competitive manner. Apple challenged this new injunction, arguing that it exceeded the court’s authority and forced the company to provide free access to its products and services.

The 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals sided with Apple, allowing the company to charge reasonable fees to cover necessary costs and intellectual property expenses. The case will now be sent back to the district court to determine a fair fee for Apple’s external links coordination program.

While this ruling may seem like a victory for Apple, Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney also celebrated the decision, highlighting that it prevents Apple from imposing high fees on developers and benefits both developers and consumers.

In addition to allowing Apple to charge a reasonable commission, the appellate court also found other parts of the initial ruling to be overly broad, leading to further changes. Apple will now have the authority to restrict developers from making external links more prominent than in-app buying options and regulate the design of these links.

Overall, the changes in fees and link design will be implemented, while the rest of the April injunction will remain in place. Apple will need to ensure that external links are not made excessively difficult to use, in line with the spirit of the injunction.