In the latest chapter of the tech world's favorite legal soap opera, Apple has proposed a new fee structure for digital purchases made outside the App Store. The proposal, filed on Thursday, would allow Apple to collect a commission on purchases made via external links, despite a court ruling that said it couldn't. Epic Games, ever the eager adversary, has already fired back, calling the proposal "far outside of the bounds" of the court's guidance.

For those keeping score at home: In April 2025, California district court judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers ruled that Apple "willfully" violated her 2021 injunction in the Epic Games v. Apple case, which meant Apple couldn't take a commission on external purchases. But the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals panel later said Apple could charge a commission based on "necessary costs," and now Apple has decided what those costs are worth.

Apple's proposal would charge a 15% commission for standard apps and 5% for apps in its Small Business Program. But here's the kicker: Apple admits that its "necessary costs" to enable external purchases, as defined by the Ninth Circuit, "would be essentially zero." That's right, zero. So they're proposing to charge a fee for something that costs them nothing, arguing that it's "some compensation" for their tools and services.

Epic's response? They're not buying it. In a statement, Epic noted that Apple admitted the "necessary costs" are zero, yet they're proposing fees anyway. Epic plans to file an opposition within the next 60 days, backed by expert witnesses. The Supreme Court, meanwhile, has agreed to hear arguments on whether Apple willfully violated the April 2025 ruling. So the saga continues, with both sides digging in for what promises to be another riveting round of legal jousting.