Apple’s App Store can stay closed but developers can link to outside payments, says appeals court

An appeals court has upheld the status quo in Epic’s antitrust lawsuit against Apple, affirming a decision that was largely a victory for Apple. In a ruling delivered on Monday, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals found that Apple’s closed app store and security restrictions didn’t violate antitrust law, but that Apple couldn’t maintain anti-steering rules that prevent users from learning about alternate payment options.

“There is a lively and important debate about the role played in our economy and democracy by online transaction platforms with market power,” the ruling states. “Our job as a federal Court of Appeals, however, is not to resolve that debate—nor could we even attempt to do so. Instead, in this decision, we faithfully applied existing precedent to the facts as the parties developed them below.”

Apple spokesperson Marni Goldberg provided The Verge with the following statement from Apple:

Today’s decision reaffirms Apple’s resounding victory in this case, with nine of 10 claims having been decided in Apple’s favor. For the second time in two years, a federal court has ruled that Apple abides by antitrust laws at the state and federal levels.

The App Store continues to promote competition, drive innovation, and expand opportunity, and we’re proud of its profound contributions to both users and developers around the world. We respectfully disagree with the court’s ruling on the one remaining claim under state law and are considering further review.

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