Apple has escalated its ongoing legal battle with Epic Games by petitioning the U.S. Supreme Court to review a lower court ruling that mandates changes to its App Store policies. The tech giant argues that the injunction, which stems from a specific dispute with the creator of Fortnite, should not be applied broadly to all developers on the platform. Apple contends that companies not involved in the litigation, such as Microsoft and Spotify, should not be covered by relief measures intended solely for Epic Games.

Central to the dispute is a civil contempt order issued by the Ninth Circuit regarding Apple’s compliance with court-ordered changes. While Apple began allowing developers to include links to alternative payment systems within their apps, it continued to levy a 27% commission on those external transactions. The court previously ruled that these fees undermined the intent of the injunction, but Apple maintains that the original order did not explicitly prohibit such charges, arguing that it cannot be held in contempt for violating the “spirit” of a mandate that left room for interpretation.

This latest legal maneuver marks another chapter in a conflict that has persisted for over five years. Epic Games has characterized the appeal as a desperate attempt to delay the inevitable opening of payment competition, which they argue is essential for consumer benefit. Despite the ongoing friction, Epic Games recently restored Fortnite to the App Store in most global markets, signaling confidence that the judicial system will ultimately dismantle Apple’s current fee structure.