Bloomberg: Apple will appeal Epic Games verdict

Apple will appeal the ruling in the lawsuit with Epic Games, according to Bloomberg. In it, the company was obliged to allow links to alternative payment systems in the App Store. Apple also appealed in October, but lost.

Apple took this week to a higher court to temporarily block the mandatory App Store changes, Bloomberg writes, which has seen a request from Apple’s lawyers. The company has submitted that request to the American Court of Appeals, the financial news agency reports.

According to the previous ruling, Apple must implement the changes by December 9. The company is therefore also asking for a temporary postponement, until the Court has rendered a ruling. “Due to the effective date of the injunction, Apple is requesting the immediate implementation of an administrative suspension, which would expire 30 days after the Court’s ruling,” Apple’s request reads.

The ruling was made earlier this year, in the lawsuit with Epic Games. That company claims that Apple has a monopoly and abuses its power. The first ruling was made in September. The judge ruled in favor of Apple in most aspects of the lawsuit. For example, the judge ruled that Epic Games failed to prove that Apple is a monopolist.

At the same time, it was ruled that from December 9, Apple may no longer require iOS app developers to use Apple’s own payment system, for which the company charges a commission. Instead, developers are allowed to refer to third-party payment methods within their apps.

Apple filed an appeal against that ruling in October, hoping to hold it back for the time being. The company then requested that the ruling be postponed until the lawsuit with Epic Games is fully concluded, and all possible appeals in that case are heard, which could take years. The court rejected that request, and again ruled that Apple must implement the App Store changes by December 9. It is not known when the appeal will be heard.