Apple and its CEO, Tim Cook, face serious legal consequences after a federal judge ruled that the tech giant violated an antitrust injunction from its battle with Epic Games over App Store restrictions.
The blistering decision, issued by US District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, criticized Cook personally and raised the specter of criminal contempt charges against the company and its top executives.
Judge Accuses Apple of Willful Defiance
In her ruling, Judge Rogers stated that Apple had “willfully disregarded” a 2021 court order requiring the company to allow app developers to offer alternative payment options outside its App Store ecosystem.
This injunction was a partial outcome of Apple’s high-profile legal fight with Epic Games, the maker of “Fortnite,” which accused Apple of abusing its market power by enforcing hefty in-app purchase fees.
“This is an injunction, not a negotiation. There are no do-overs once a party willfully disregards a court order,” Rogers wrote.
The judge referred the matter to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, signaling the potential for criminal contempt charges against Apple and certain executives.
Tim Cook “Chose Poorly,” Judge Says
A particularly damaging aspect of the ruling was the judge’s criticism of Tim Cook’s involvement. According to Rogers, internal discussions at Apple showed that the senior vice president of worldwide marketing, Philip Schiller, had “advocated that Apple comply with the Injunction.” However, “Tim Cook ignored Schiller and instead allowed Chief Financial Officer Luca Maestri and his finance team to convince him otherwise,” she wrote.
