Apple’s Emergency Stay Denied: Court Ruling on External App Purchases

A court has denied Apple‘s appeal for an emergency stay on a ruling regarding purchases made outside the App Store in the US, TechCrunch reported. This decision means that Apple will no longer be able to collect fees when users click on links within an app that directs them to an external site for a purchase. “After reviewing the relevant factors, we are not persuaded that a stay is appropriate,” the judges stated in a filing.

Background of the Case

Earlier this year, Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers ruled that Apple violated her 2021 ruling on Epic’s lawsuit against Apple. The judge originally ordered Apple to allow developers to direct users to other payment systems that would enable them to bypass the App Store’s usual 30 percent commission fee. However, Apple continued to take up to a 27 percent cut for external purchases while displaying a “scare screen” warning that users would lose the company’s protection if they opted to pay outside the App Store.

Immediate Implications of the Ruling

As part of the ruling, Gonzalez Rogers ordered Apple to stop collecting fees for external payments in the US immediately. She also prohibited Apple from creating rules that would prevent developers from presenting customers with buttons and links for external payments. Apple complied with the order but promptly filed an appeal for an emergency hold on the ruling so it could resume collecting fees on external app purchases — and that appeal has now been denied.

Reactions to the Decision

In response to the ruling, Epic CEO Tim Sweeney expressed his views on the social media platform X, stating, “The long national nightmare of the Apple tax is ended. May next week’s WWDC be the Apple-led celebration of freedom that developers and users have long deserved.” Apple has yet to comment on the matter.

Impact on Other Companies

Other companies with a significant presence on iOS, such as Amazon and Spotify have already moved quickly, are now looking to establish external payment methods for their apps. Epic itself attempted to resubmitted Fortnite to the App Store but was denied, with calling describing Apple’s actions as “blatant retaliation.” However, on May 20th, Fortnite finally returned to the App Store in the US.

Conclusion

This ruling marks a significant shift in the landscape of app payments and could pave the way for developers to explore alternative payment systems without the constraints imposed by Apple’s App Store policies. As the situation develops, further implications for both Apple and app developers are anticipated.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at Engadget.