Apple denies court violation: Apple has refuted allegations of violating a court order regarding its App Store practices and has urged a California federal judge to dismiss a request for contempt from Epic Games, the developer of "Fortnite."

The tech giant made its stance clear in a filing to US District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers in Oakland, who oversaw Epic's 2020 lawsuit accusing Apple of antitrust violations due to its strict controls over app downloads and in-app transactions.

Apple's filing criticised Epic's attempt to obtain its "tools and technologies for free," describing it as an effort to impose excessive control over Apple's business operations to boost Epic's profits.

While Epic declined to comment, Apple did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the ongoing dispute, which is part of a longstanding conflict between the two companies.

Although Epic largely lost its case against Apple, Judge Rogers ruled in 2021 that Apple must allow developers more flexibility in directing app users to alternative payment methods for digital goods.

The US Supreme Court rejected Apple's appeal of this injunction in January.

Epic recently alleged in a court filing that Apple was in "blatant violation" of the injunction by imposing a 27 per cent fee on developers for certain purchases, rendering links for alternative payment options "commercially unusable," according to the video game maker. Epic also claimed that Apple restricted some apps from informing users about alternative payment methods.

Meta Platforms, Microsoft, Elon Musk's X, and Match Group supported Epic's arguments, informing Judge Rogers that Apple was "clearly violating" the court's order.

A similar case Epic brought against Google is awaiting a separate injunction affecting the Google Play Store, with a ruling expected later this year.

(with Reuters inputs)