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Apple Denied Permission to Appeal Ruling on App Store Commissions

By  |  November 13, 2025
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Apple’s legal battle over the fees it charges app developers took another turn on Thursday, as the company was refused permission to appeal a landmark decision by the U.K.’s Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT). The tribunal’s earlier ruling found that Apple had abused its dominant position in the app distribution market, according to Reuters.

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    The CAT decided last month that Apple unlawfully shut out competition and imposed “excessive and unfair prices” on developers through its commission structure, per Reuters. The ruling has left the tech giant facing a potential liability of more than 1 billion pounds ($1.3 billion), a significant figure as scrutiny of Apple’s App Store practices intensifies in both the United States and Europe.

    Although the tribunal rejected Apple’s bid to challenge the decision, the company can still apply directly to the Court of Appeal. Apple’s legal team requested a 21-day window to file such an application.

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    A company spokesperson said the tribunal’s decision “takes a flawed view of the thriving and competitive app economy” and fails to recognize what Apple sees as substantial benefits for developers and consumers. The statement was included in Reuters’ reporting.

    Related: Judge Reverses Class Action Status in Apple App Store Monopoly Case

    Rachael Kent, the British academic who filed the class-action-style case, has sought damages calculated from October 2015 to February 2024. Lawyers for Kent estimated the total at 1.2 billion pounds including interest. “This case has been a marathon, not a sprint, but we are one step closer to App Store users finally seeing their money rightfully returned to their pockets,” she said in a statement.

    The CAT’s ruling followed a separate complaint filed with European antitrust regulators, targeting Apple’s App Store terms under rules designed to rein in the power of major tech platforms.

    In its findings, the tribunal concluded that developers were overcharged based on the gap between a 17.5% rate—deemed fair for app purchases—and Apple’s typical 30% commission. According to Reuters, the CAT also determined that developers passed on roughly half of the inflated charges to consumers, amplifying the impact of Apple’s policies on the broader market.

    Source: Reuters