The legal battle that has been dragging on since 2020 between Apple and the developer of the game Fortnite has not yet reached a definitive solution. But it seems that Apple wants to go to the Supreme Court to conclude the legal proceedings.

It all started when Epic developed an alternative payment system in Fortnite, bypassing Apple's App Store payment system. This move angered the latter, which led to it removing the game from the store and blocking Epic's development tools from iOS developers.

Those clashes, which erupted in 2020, have prompted both parties to appeal to the local court, where Epic is challenging Apple’s mandatory 30% discount on any in-game purchase made in Fortnite. Last April, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit issued a single-judge ruling in 2021 that largely rejected Epic’s claims that Apple violated federal law by not allowing any competing marketplace for its iOS.

However, the court at the time issued a ruling not to force Apple developers and app publishers on the App Store to not place links or buttons that could transfer the user to an external payment method away from the digital store, in order to avoid the tax charged by Apple.

Last week, the Ninth Circuit rejected motions filed by Apple and Epic asking the court to reconsider its April ruling. According to Reuters, Apple's lawyers said the court overreached its initial ruling.

A district court has issued a sweeping injunction barring Apple from enforcing its anti-directive rules against all developers of iOS apps offered for release in the United States. Even though the plaintiff, Epic, did not request it.

It is worth noting that, to this day, Apple is still preventing iOS device users from downloading the game Fortnite due to this dispute with the developer. By blocking owners of the game on their devices from new updates since 2020, until a firm court decision is issued regarding the clash between the two parties.