Court rulings that matter to you,
analyzed before you wake up.

A three-judge panel of the 9th Circuit has agreed to expedite rehearing of the injunction compelling Apple to allow third-party payment links within iOS apps. The order signals the court's view that whether Apple's anti-steering restrictions violate the Sherman Act warrants urgent clarification before Epic's compliance deadline. The panel requested supplemental briefing on the post-Amex two-sided market framework as applied to mobile app distribution.

The Department of Justice filed an amicus curiae brief arguing that platform operators controlling both distribution and payment processing for third-party applications should face heightened Section 2 scrutiny. The brief cites EU DMA enforcement actions against Apple as persuasive — though not binding — authority on market definition in digital platform contexts.

The 9th Circuit clerk issued a revised scheduling order moving oral argument from March 30 to April 22, 2026, citing a conflict with an en banc matter. Epic's reply brief is now due April 2; Apple's supplemental response, April 12. No substantive changes to briefing scope were made.