According to Apple, "restrictions on linking out are inextricably tied to Apple's requirement that developers use IAP for purchases of digital content - a requirement this court considered in detail and upheld against Epic's challenge."
US District Court Judge Yvonne Gonzales Rogers gave the ruling, which stopped Apple banning “buttons, external links, or other calls to action that direct customers to purchasing mechanisms” outside Apple’s payment system, out of concern that consumers did not have access to information about alternative means of paying for apps.
Apple will have to allow external links by December 9 if a stay is not granted.
This ruling was the result of Fortnite creator Epic Games having brought Apple to trial on anti-trust grounds for preventing app developers from linking to non-Apple owned payment options within Apple’s App Store.
"The public interest favours denying (Apple's request); an injunction is the only path to effective relief," Epic wrote. "History shows ... that in the absence of an injunction, Apple will not make any changes."
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