Apple’s motion for a stay of the December 9 deadline for developers to include external payment options in their apps failed to convince a US Federal judge.
Unless an appeals court grants the iPhone maker a reprieve, Apple will have to permit developers to steer customers to payment modes outside the App Store — an overhaul that could cost the company billions of dollars a year. The original ruling has its roots in a case lodged by Fortnite-maker Epic Games, which accused Apple of running a monopoly.
The legal dispute stems from Fortnite’s removal from the App Store last year. At that time, Apple had accused Epic Games of violating its policies by incorporating in the game a direct payment method to avoid paying a 30% cut for in-app purchases.
In its latest motion, Apple had pleaded with US District Judge Yvonne Gonzales Rogers to stay a part of her injunction that said the tech giant must undo its rule that forbade developers from using web links within apps to inform consumers about third-party payment methods.
Apple said it would file a motion in the Federal Appeals Court in San Francisco to put the order on hold. “Apple believes no additional business changes should be required to take effect until all appeals in this case are resolved,” Bloomberg quoted a statement from the company.
Judge Rogers had given Apple 90 days to comply with her original order.
The Cupertino-based tech giant faces a multitude of antitrust lawsuits — both inside and outside the United States — that seek to make the App Store open to competition.
Apple recently updated the App Store policy, allowing developers to contact users about payment methods — a concession granted to companies challenging the tight control over its marketplace. As part of the updated policy, developers can directly contact consumers about alternative payment modes.