Apple has been ordered to appear in court later this month to explain its alleged refusal to comply with a 2021 antitrust injunction, as part of its ongoing legal battle with Epic Games.

The order, issued by U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, demands that a company official responsible for ensuring compliance attend a hearing on May 27 if the dispute is not resolved beforehand.

The injunction at the centre of the case required Apple to allow developers to include external payment links in their apps, bypassing Apple’s proprietary in-app purchase system.

Judge Rogers sharply criticised Apple’s continued restrictions, calling the company’s conduct a “wilful disregard” of the court’s order.

“This is an injunction, not a negotiation,” Rogers wrote, noting that Apple’s new 27% commission on external payments effectively nullifies the original ruling.

She also accused Apple’s vice president of finance, Alex Roman, of lying under oath, and claimed internal documents contradict his testimony regarding when Apple finalised its fee structure.

The judge’s ruling singled out CEO Tim Cook for ignoring advice from Apple fellow Philip Schiller to comply with the injunction, instead siding with the company’s finance team.

Rogers has referred the matter to federal prosecutors for possible criminal contempt charges.

Apple has until Wednesday to file a formal response to Epic’s motion to enforce the injunction.

Epic Games, which first sued Apple in 2020 over monopolistic App Store practices, hailed the court’s action as a victory for developers.

CEO Tim Sweeney said the decision “forces Apple to compete.”

Apple has stated it disagrees with the ruling and will appeal, but confirmed it intends to comply with the court’s order.

The hearing on May 27 in Oakland could prove a turning point as Apple faces growing legal scrutiny over its App Store rules and executive conduct.