Apple is defending a proposed U.S. developer class action alleging that its App Store rules continued to obstruct outside payment options after a federal court ordered Apple to permit links to them. The complaint seeks damages, restitution and policy changes, but it does not establish liability, class certification or an automatic payout.
The case at a glance
- Case: Korean Publishers Association et al. v. Apple Inc.
- Court: U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California
- Case number: 3:25-cv-04438 (related docket references also include 4:25-cv-04438 and 5:25-cv-04438)
- Filed: May 23, 2025
- Status: Proposed antitrust class action; certification, liability and damages remain unresolved
The complaint alleges that Apple’s “Link Entitlement” program imposed a 27% commission on qualifying purchases made through external links and added conditions that made those links less effective. Those are plaintiffs’ allegations, not findings in this case. Read the complaint.
Why the lawsuit followed Epic’s contempt ruling
In September 2021, the court in Epic Games v. Apple issued a permanent injunction barring Apple from preventing developers from including buttons, external links or other calls to action directing customers to outside purchasing mechanisms. The order did not require Apple to allow every alternative app store or eliminate Apple’s in-app-payment system. See the permanent injunction.
On April 30, 2025, Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers found Apple in civil contempt, concluding that Apple’s implementation obstructed the injunction’s purpose. The court also referred Apple and an Apple finance executive to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for possible criminal-contempt evaluation. Associated Press summary.
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The developer case is separate. The contempt ruling concerns enforcement of Epic’s injunction; the proposed class action claims that developers suffered economic harm and asks for money and prospective relief.
What Apple allegedly did
The complaint challenges more than Apple’s ordinary commission on purchases completed through Apple’s own payment system. It alleges that Apple:
- charged a 27% commission on qualifying external-link purchases;
- restricted where links or buttons could appear;
- controlled link formatting, appearance and wording;
- limited calls to action and dynamic, purchase-specific routing;
- added warnings or other friction to the purchase flow; and
- excluded some developer programs or categories from external-link functionality.
Plaintiffs contend that these conditions made outside payment routes commercially unattractive or practically ineffective. Apple may dispute the facts, the legal theory and the amount of any alleged loss.
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What the class action seeks
- Monetary damages for allegedly excessive commissions or lost economic opportunity;
- restitution or recovery of amounts plaintiffs say Apple improperly collected;
- an injunction preventing further obstruction of alternative payment options;
- a declaration that the conduct violated antitrust or California unfair-competition law; and
- limits on future fees, payment conditions, link-design rules, retaliation or discrimination.
Because this is only a complaint, no developer is automatically included or entitled to money. A court must address certification, and any final class definition could differ from the one proposed.
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The proposed group generally concerns U.S. developers affected by Apple’s App Store payment and anti-steering policies. Potentially relevant developers could include businesses selling paid apps, subscriptions or in-app products; developers that used external links; developers that paid an external-link commission; and developers that say Apple’s restrictions deterred them from using the program.
Eligibility will depend on the eventual class definition, dates, exclusions, arbitration provisions and prior releases. The complaint discusses the earlier Small App Developer Settlement, which covered certain U.S. developers whose App Store proceeds did not exceed $1 million in each relevant calendar year and may have released some older claims. See the settlement and class-definition discussion.
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How this differs from Epic’s case
| Epic litigation | Developer class action |
|---|---|
| Brought by Epic Games | Brought by proposed representatives for a broader developer group |
| Enforces the anti-steering injunction | Seeks damages as well as prospective relief |
| Produced the April 30, 2025 contempt ruling | Must still establish standing, causation, damages and class certification |
| Includes appeals and Supreme Court proceedings | May be affected by how those proceedings define the injunction and permissible fees |
Epic’s contempt ruling may provide factual or legal support, but it does not decide every developer’s damages or prove that the proposed class satisfies certification requirements.
What the Ninth Circuit and Supreme Court proceedings mean
On December 11, 2025, the Ninth Circuit substantially affirmed the contempt finding and left the injunction in place. It also clarified that Apple was not categorically barred from charging a commission or fee on linked-out purchases if a fee is permitted after further proceedings. The issue is therefore not necessarily “zero fee forever,” but whether a fee is lawful and structured consistently with the injunction. Read the Ninth Circuit opinion.
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As of August 18, 2026, Apple’s Supreme Court petition is part of the broader dispute over the contempt ruling and the injunction’s scope. Apple and Epic also continue proceedings over what external-transaction commission, if any, may be allowed. Apple’s petition and appendix; report on Epic’s opposition to a pause.
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Apple’s likely defenses
Apple can argue that the 2021 injunction required links but did not expressly prohibit every external-transaction fee, and that any fee could reflect legitimate platform costs or services. It may also challenge whether the proposed class members experienced the same conduct or injury.
- Individual arbitration clauses or class waivers may apply to some developers.
- Prior settlements or statutes of limitation may bar older claims.
- Developers who never used external links may face different standing and causation questions.
- Different programs, dates, fee structures and payment routes may make a single damages model difficult.
- A narrower Supreme Court interpretation of the injunction could weaken claims based specifically on alleged injunction violations.
Procedural posture and what happens next
The principal complaint was filed May 23, 2025. Proton filed a related proposed class action on June 30, 2025. Available docket summaries show motion-to-dismiss-or-stay activity and an opposition filed October 3, 2025, but the available material does not establish that a class has been certified, a settlement has been reached or a final damages ruling has entered. Korean Publishers Association case overview; related Proton case overview.
Typical next disputes include motions to dismiss or stay, class certification, arbitration and release issues, discovery, damages methodology, settlement negotiations and appeals. The Supreme Court’s treatment of the Epic injunction could directly affect the theories available in the developer litigation.
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What developers should preserve now
- Save App Store statements, commission records and invoices.
- Preserve external-payment records and Link Entitlement agreements or communications.
- Capture dated screenshots or recordings showing link placement, warnings, checkout steps and rejected designs.
- Record when external links were enabled, restricted, rejected or removed.
- Keep evidence of conversion changes, abandoned purchases or other claimed losses.
- Locate arbitration, opt-out and prior-settlement documents.
Preserving records does not establish that a developer has a valid claim. Developers considering participation should obtain advice from qualified counsel about jurisdiction, arbitration, releases and applicable deadlines.
Bottom line
Apple faces an active proposed developer class action alleging that its post-injunction external-payment rules imposed a 27% commission and operational barriers. The Ninth Circuit’s contempt decision strengthens the factual backdrop but leaves room for a properly justified fee, and neither that decision nor the filing itself guarantees class certification, liability or payment to developers.
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