The legal battle between Apple and Epic Games continues as the US Supreme Court schedules oral arguments for January 11, 2027. This session marks the first time both parties will present their cases directly before the Supreme Court, following years of litigation in lower courts regarding App Store policies.
The central issue for the Supreme Court is whether lower courts have the authority to interpret the spirit of a court injunction rather than its literal text. Apple argues that lower courts exceeded their interpretive scope when ruling on its compliance, while Epic Games maintains that Apple's actions violated the actual intent of the original injunction.
The dispute stems from an initial antitrust trial where Epic Games successfully challenged Apple's anti-steering payment restrictions in the App Store. While Apple lost that specific point, it has consistently contested subsequent lower court rulings that found its new fee mechanisms violated the spirit of the original injunction.
Apple's appeal to the Supreme Court focuses on the standard for determining injunction violations. While the company also raised arguments regarding the CASA case, the Supreme Court rejected those points and limited its review to the interpretation of injunction compliance standards. The final ruling date remains uncertain.
