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Ninth Circuit Upholds Apple Contempt Ruling, Orders Reasonable Fee Instead of Zero‑Commission Ban

The case now returns to the district court to set a reasonable, non‑prohibitive fee for linked‑out purchases.

Overview

  • Appeals judges affirmed that Apple violated the 2021 anti‑steering injunction, finding its 27% fee on external purchases had a prohibitive effect.
  • The panel reversed the district court’s blanket ban on commissions and directed adoption of a non‑prohibitive fee tied to necessary coordination costs rather than security or privacy features.
  • Link‑design restrictions were refined, permitting Apple to prevent developers from making buttons, links, or other calls to action more prominent than Apple’s own options.
  • Apple’s bids to vacate the underlying injunction or to reassign the case to a different judge were denied.
  • Further district‑court proceedings will define the allowable fee structure and implement the modified design rules for iOS apps.