Judge Forces Apple to Comply: Epic Games' Fortnite Returns Hinge on Court Order

Judge Orders Apple to Comply with Anti-Steering Injunction or Return to Court

A federal judge has ordered Apple to explain why it is defying an anti-steering court order in its ongoing dispute with Epic Games. The judge, Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, cited Apple for not following the injunction issued earlier in the case and noted that the company hasn't received permission from the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeal to delay compliance.

Epic Games' 'Fortnite' remains unapproved on the US App Store, and Epic claims that Apple is dragging its feet. If the issue isn't resolved quickly, an Apple official will have to appear in court on May 27. Apple has until May 21 to file a response, with Epic having until May 23 to respond.

The saga began in 2020 when Epic violated the App Store's developer agreement by directing users to buy in-game currency outside the platform. The subsequent lawsuit found Epic guilty of violations but also ruled that Apple's anti-steering rules were not entirely legal. In 2021, an anti-steering injunction required Apple to allow app developers to link users to external payment options.

Apple has been fighting against this injunction and added new rules that technically comply with the order but make it difficult for developers to use these links. Epic argues that these rules violate both the spirit and the letter of the court's original order.