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Event

Epic Games v. Apple

After a bench trial in 2021 Apple won Epic’s Sherman Act claims (market for mobile-games transactions) and lost under California’s Unfair Competition Law on its ban on steering buyers elsewhere; in December 2025 the Ninth Circuit affirmed a finding that Apple had defied the resulting injunction; the Supreme Court granted review, argument set for 11 January 2027.

4 links, 3 backed by primary records

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Dates
2020 –

After a bench trial in 2021 Apple won Epic’s Sherman Act claims (market for mobile-games transactions) and lost under California’s Unfair Competition Law on its ban on steering buyers elsewhere; in December 2025 the Ninth Circuit affirmed a finding that Apple had defied the resulting injunction; the Supreme Court granted review, argument set for 11 January 2027.

Connections 4

involved

  • Epic Games plaintiff; lost the Sherman Act claims, won under California law on anti-steering, and won the contempt ruling now under Supreme Court review Primary record 1
  • Apple defendant; won on monopoly, lost on anti-steering and contempt Primary record 2
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit affirmed contempt in part; sent the commission question back Primary record 1
  • U.S. Supreme Court granted review of the contempt ruling; argument 11 January 2027 Scholarship & press 3
Timeline 1 date
  1. 2020 – Epic Games v. Apple
Proof 3 sources
  1. Epic Games, Inc. v. Apple, Inc., Opinion, No. 25-2935 (9th Cir., 11 December 2025), U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, 11 Dec 2025. Primary record
    The panel concluded that charging a 27% commission had a prohibitive effect, in violation of the injunction.
    Apple claimed to comply with the injunction, but it instead prohibited App Store developers from using buttons, links, and other calls to action without paying a prohibitive commission to Apple
  2. Epic Games, Inc. v. Apple, Inc., Opinion, No. 21-16506 (9th Cir., 24 April 2023), U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, 24 Apr 2023. Primary record
    Though Apple has significant market power, the court found it to be insufficiently durable given the rapidly changing nature of the market.
  3. Apple Inc. v. Epic Games, Inc. (25-1311), SCOTUSblog, 2 Nov 2026. Scholarship & press
    Whether a court may hold a party in civil contempt based on a violation of an injunction’s “spirit” where the injunction is silent as to the conduct upon which contempt is based
Page history 3 changes
  1. Second revision of Too Big to Fail: the FTC's 1917 finding, the 1952 report's seven firms, the 1984 hearing record, and corrected cards for Spirit, beef, tickets, Google and the final verdictAlibek05663c47
  2. Revise Too Big to Fail after the skeptic's review: read to 2 November 2026, a verdict card that separates findings from shares, the 1929 fight with its scandal and the board's stand, and sources for every cardAlibekc819f2cb
  3. Add the story Too Big to Fail: Standard Oil's stockholders, the phrase's origin in 1984, and market-by-market cases to November 2026Alibekaa9c434d

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