# SCOTUS Sets Hearing Date for Apple’s Epic Games Contempt Appeal The Supreme Court will review Apple’s civil contempt ruling regarding App Store payment restrictions. - **Source:** [9to5Mac](https://brifing.si/source/59447403-ce5b-427c-8132-8614f549929a) - **Published:** 2026-11-03 - **Topic:** [Business](https://brifing.si/c/business) - **Original article:** - **On Brifing:** https://brifing.si/s/c5215581-18a4-4050-a8e0-5bd6fab63029 ## Supreme Court Hearing Scheduled The U.S. Supreme Court has officially scheduled oral arguments for Apple’s appeal against Epic Games for January 11, 2027. This legal battle, which originated in 2020 after Fortnite was removed from the App Store, now centers on a specific civil contempt ruling rather than the broader commission structure of the platform. ## Origins of the Contempt Ruling In April 2025, Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers found Apple in civil contempt for violating an injunction. The court determined that Apple’s restrictions on external payment links and the imposition of a 27% commission on those transactions effectively bypassed the spirit of the original court order intended to open up the ecosystem. ## Apple’s Legal Argument Strategy Apple argues that the contempt ruling must be overturned because the original injunction did not explicitly prohibit charging commissions on external purchases. In its September brief, the company cited multiple precedents suggesting that a party cannot be held in contempt unless the injunction clearly and specifically prohibits the conduct in question. ## Department of Justice Involvement The U.S. Department of Justice submitted a brief supporting parts of Apple’s argument regarding the clarity of injunctions. However, the DOJ also maintained that lower courts were correct to hold Apple in contempt regarding specific restrictions on how developers presented external purchase links, such as the requirement for plain button designs. ## Scope of Supreme Court Review The Supreme Court’s review is strictly limited to the civil contempt ruling. It will not determine the legality of the commissions Apple charges for external purchases. That specific financial issue remains under the jurisdiction of the district court, following the Ninth Circuit’s decision to overturn the blanket ban on commissions last December. ## Upcoming Filing Deadlines Before the January hearing, both parties must complete their final submissions. Epic Games is required to file its response brief by November 13, while Apple has until December 14 to submit its final reply. These documents will finalize the arguments presented to the justices before the oral proceedings begin early next year. ## Evolution of App Store Rules Following the initial 2021 ruling, Apple modified its guidelines to allow external purchase links but enforced strict presentation requirements and commissions. These rules triggered further legal challenges from Epic Games, leading to the current contempt proceedings. Apple currently permits external payment options in the U.S. App Store while continuing its legal appeal. ## Implications for Platform Governance This case highlights the tension between platform control and developer autonomy in digital marketplaces. The Supreme Court’s eventual decision will clarify the threshold for civil contempt when companies interpret injunctions narrowly. This ruling will likely set a significant precedent for how tech giants manage compliance with court-ordered changes to their proprietary ecosystems. ## Sources covering this story - https://9to5mac.com/2026/11/02/scotus-sets-hearing-date-for-apples-appeal-in-epic-games-case/ — --- _Summary written by Brifing from the original reporting. Copyright in the original article belongs to its publisher; read the full piece at the link above._