Apple wants another go in its legal battle against Fortnite maker Epic Games

For those of you who have been following the legal battle between Apple and Fortnite maker Epic Games, little “David” (Epic Games) won a decisive victory after the Federal judge rule last month that Apple must allow third-party payments in its App Store and not force developers to in-app purchasing.

But Apple is not going down without a fight. The iPhone giant wants a total win. Apple announced Friday night it would appeal a judge’s order forcing it to allow apps to link to alternative digital payment systems on the web. The tech giant said it would ask for a stay on a judge’s September order saying Apple would have to allow apps to direct customers to external websites.

Apple filed a notice of appeal in the Epic Games case and is asking for a stay on the injunction that lets developers add in-app links to payment websites, according to company representatives and documents filed on Friday. The judge is expected to rule on Apple’s request for a stay next month.

“Apple asks the Court to suspend the requirements of its injunction until the appeals filed by both Epic and Apple have been resolved. The company understands and respects the Court’s concerns regarding communications between developers and consumers. Apple is carefully working through many complex issues across a global landscape, seeking to enhance information flow while protecting both the efficient functioning of the App Store and the security and privacy of Apple’s customers. Striking the right balance may solve the Court’s concerns making the injunction (and perhaps even Apple’s appeal itself) unnecessary. A stay is warranted in these circumstances,” the iPhone maker said in the appeal document

As you may recall in August of last year, we reported that Apple removed Fortnite from the App Store after the game’s developer announced new payment options that allow players to buy in-game credits direct from Epic Games.

In response, Epic took legal action and filed a lawsuit in the District Court of Northern California to end Apple’s anti-competitive restrictions on mobile device marketplaces. The new payment option appeared to skirt Apple’s App Store and Google’s Play Store rules, which require Epic to give up a 30% cut of the revenue made through the app.

That September ruling lets app businesses bypass Apple’s requirement to facilitate payments only inside of apps, where Apple takes up to a 30% cut.

Appeal’s latest appeal is rather surprising considering what Apple’s lawyer Kate Adams said in September following the ruling: “We are very pleased with the Court’s ruling and we consider this a huge win for Apple.”