WASHINGTON, May 21 (Reuters) - Apple ( AAPL ) asked the

U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday to review a lower court ruling

that held the iPhone maker in civil contempt over fees it was

charging on some outside purchases made by customers of its App

Store.

The petition to the Supreme Court escalates a years-long

legal battle with "Fortnite" video game maker Epic Games, which

sued Apple ( AAPL ) in 2020 seeking to loosen its control over

transactions in applications that use the company's iOS

operating system and its restrictions on ​how apps are

distributed to consumers.

A judge mostly dismissed Epic's lawsuit but issued an

injunction in 2021 requiring Apple ( AAPL ) to let developers include

links in their apps ‌directing users ⁠to non-Apple ( AAPL ) payment

methods.

Apple ( AAPL ) allowed the links but adopted new restrictions,

including a 27% commission on developers for purchases made on

payment systems outside the App Store within seven days of

clicking a link.

Epic argued that the new 27% commission flouted the earlier

injunction. In 2025, the judge found Apple ( AAPL ) in civil contempt for

violating the injunction.

Apple ( AAPL ) urged the justices on Thursday to take up two legal

issues. It said the injunction should not apply to millions of

developers, since Epic is the only plaintiff and the case is not

a class action. Apple ( AAPL ) also contends it cannot be held in

contempt for allegedly violating the "spirit" of an injunction

that did not explicitly prohibit the conduct in question.

Apple ( AAPL ) has denied any wrongdoing. Epic Games did not

immediately respond to a request for comment.

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in ​December upheld

the contempt finding but said Apple ( AAPL ) could make new ⁠arguments in

the trial court about what commission it should be allowed to

charge for digital goods bought in apps distributed through the

App Store but paid for using third-party payment systems.