The Supreme Court will hear Apple's appeal of a contempt ruling that forced changes to App Store linking rules, marking a significant escalation in the ongoing legal battle with Epic Games. Apple welcomed the decision, calling it an important question of law that deserves the Court's attention.

Apple won most of the original antitrust case in 2021 but Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers ordered the company to relax anti-steering rules, allowing developers to link to external payment options. Instead of eliminating fees, Apple charged 12-27 percent on link-outs, which Epic argued violated the injunction's spirit.

Gonzalez Rogers found Apple in contempt in April 2025, barring App Store commissions on U.S. links. The Ninth Circuit upheld this ruling, prompting Apple's Supreme Court appeal. Apple argues the contempt finding was improper since the original order didn't explicitly ban fees.

The company also challenges the injunction's broad scope, citing Trump v. CASA to argue it should apply only to Epic. Arguments center on whether courts can issue universal injunctions affecting all developers. The Court will hear arguments this October while Apple returns to district court for fee calculations pending the outcome.