Apple asks US Supreme Court to strike down Epic Games order

Smartphone with Epic Games logo is seen in front of Apple logo in this illustration taken, May 2, 2021. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration

(Reuters) - Apple on Thursday asked the U.S. Supreme Court to strike down an order requiring changes to its App Store rules stemming from an antitrust case brought by "Fortnite" owner Epic Games.

The iPhone maker has been in a legal battle with Epic since 2020, when the gaming firm alleged that Apple's requirement that developers distribute software through its App Store, where Apple charges up to 30% commissions on in-app payments on iPhones and other devices, violated U.S. antitrust rules. Epic lost on those claims at trial in 2021, but a U.S. District Court judge ruled that Apple's practice of banning software developers from telling customers about alternative payment methods violated a California unfair competition law.