The image is by Alex Castro.
One of the most consequential parts of the ruling has been put on hold. The district court ruled that the exclusive arrangement was illegal, but the stay allowed Apple to keep its IAP system as the sole source of in-app payments.
The stay issued Wednesday afternoon does not reverse the earlier ruling, but it does put enforcement on hold until the appeals court can hear the case.
The ruling states that Apple has shown that its appeal raises serious questions about the district court's determination. We grant Apple's motion to stay part of the permanent injunction. The mandate issues in this appeal will keep the stay in effect.
The second part of the injunction, which dealt with user communications outside of Apple's mobile operating system, is unaffected by the stay. The court ordered Apple to allow customers to register for points of contact through the app. The order will not be affected by the stay.
The anti-steering restrictions placed on iOS by the Japan Fair Steering Commission are not related to the case of the Epic case.
In September, Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers ordered Apple to allow third-party payment systems on its apps, as part of a ruling that dismissed antitrust allegations. The court ruled that Apple could no longer prohibit buttons or external links that direct users to payment systems outside of the App Store, as the company previously had in its app store guidelines.
When reached by The Verge, Epic Games declined to comment. A request for comment was not immediately responded to by Apple.
The district court denied Apple's request for an injunction.
