In 2020, Epic Games filed a lawsuit against Apple, alleging its 30% commission on in-app purchases went against US regulations Credit: Shutterstock / mundissima

Apple has called for the US Supreme Court to retract an order requiring changes to its App Store rules, following a tumultuous antitrust lawsuit filed by Epic Games in 2020. 

Epic, one of the biggest privately held video game companies in the world, alleged two years ago that Apple’s 30% commission on in-app purchases violated US antitrust rules,the company subsequently lost the lawsuit in 2021. 

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However, a US District Court judge found that Apple’s practise of muzzling developers from alerting customers to different payment methods was breaking unfair competition law.

The iPhone maker was ordered to change these rules to allow all active developers active in its US App Store to promote alternative payment options.

On Thursday, Apple fought back against these laws, claiming the case was made off a single developer and didn’t focus on a wider array of app makers. 

The tech giant claimed the single case didn’t justify a nationwide ban and that the ruling had violated the US Constitution by overstepping the powers of a Federal Judge. 

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In a filing with the US Supreme Court, Apple wrote: “That approach eviscerates the constitutional limitations on federal courts’ authority and, unless corrected by this Court, would render universal injunctions the default remedy in single-plaintiff cases challenging a generally applicable policy.”

Apple currently has vito powers over its App Store and the products under the App Store’s remit. Apple’s App Store remains the only way to sell iPhone and iPad apps, which means employees have control over what goes on there and what stays.

The news comes as Epic Games is reportedly laying off 16% of its workforce, equating to around 900 employees, Bloomberg reported.

Epic announced the cuts in a memo to staff, according to someone close to the matter.

Epic created the smash-hit Fortnite, a popular online game with over 400 million users. The US-company also produces the Unreal Engine, a popular platform used to develop video games.