Apple will again appeal to the Supreme Court in battle with Epic Games

The legal battle between Epic Games and Apple is escalating once again. For the second time, warring factions are ascending directly to the top of the justice system. Apple is asking the Supreme Court to reconsider when and how it can charge commissions on mobile purchases made through third-party payment systems. The company filed a motion to uphold a lower court’s ruling regarding fees Apple charges software developers using these external financial systems rather than the App Store.

The last time Apple filed an appeal to the top court, it was to a lower court asking it to allow developers to use third-party payment options. The Supreme Court refused to hear this case. It’s possible the tech company could be turned down again, although this effort is specifically about limits on commission rates rather than the basic principle of allowing in-app payment processing outside of the App Store.

Epic Games has been lobbying Apple and Google over their app store commission fees for years. Recently, the gaming company appears to have struck a deal with Google which saw its game popular Fortnite returns to the Google Play Store globally in March. The move would force Epic’s notoriously opinionated CEO to remain silent on the subject of Google’s app store fees until 2032. Epic Games has recently made substantial job cuts, laying off more than 1,000 workers last month.