Apple getting sued over iOS apps monopoly

by Damian M. / Jan 13, 2017, 2:11 AM

Apple getting sued over iOS apps monopoly

Apple's attorneys are once again kept busy, as the company is facing a law suit over iOS apps monopoly. A complaint, originally filed in 2011, accuses Apple of violating US antitrust law, in the period from 2007 to 2013, by requiring iOS apps to be exclusively sold through Apple's App Store.

This means that third-party developers couldn't sell apps through their own app stores legally. Therefore, Apple took a 30% cut for every legitimate app purchase out there. According to the law suit, this increased prices for apps and excluded competitors from the “aftermarket” of apps.

Mark Rifkin, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, said that the case isn't a class-action law suit just yet, but he may seek to expand the scope of the class to include everyone who has bought iOS apps to date. He estimated that this could lead to Apple paying hundreds of millions in damages to users, as millions of consumers should be able to reclaim the 30% Apple received when they bought apps.

If all this sounds familiar, it's because that same case was dismissed by a lower-court judge, and it has now been revived by a federal appeals court in San Francisco. The case was originally dismissed, since Apple argued that “it does not sell apps but rather sells software distribution services to developers”, citing a 1977 Supreme Court ruling that bars consumers from recovering damages from a company that doesn't directly sell its product to consumers.

However, the appeals court believes that the argument is invalid, since iPhone users buy content from the App Store, and not from the developers directly.

“Apple's anology is unconvincing,” the court said. “In the case before us, third-party developers of iPhone apps do not have their own stores.”

source: Bloomberg via Engadget

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102 Comments

1. Unordinary unregistered

Keep crying

posted on Jan 13, 2017, 2:20 AM 5

2. Podrick

Posts: 1285; Member since: Aug 19, 2015

Butthurt much?

posted on Jan 13, 2017, 2:22 AM 13

23. Mxyzptlk unregistered

Like you are right?

posted on Jan 13, 2017, 8:06 AM 2

26. trojan_horse

Posts: 5868; Member since: May 06, 2016

"Like you are right?" You must be talking to yourself via a mirror. ^^

posted on Jan 13, 2017, 8:28 AM 7

28. Mxyzptlk unregistered

Speaking of butthurt.

posted on Jan 13, 2017, 8:30 AM 1

30. meanestgenius

Posts: 22076; Member since: May 28, 2014

Yes butthurt, he is speaking of you.

posted on Jan 13, 2017, 8:31 AM 7

45. Mxyzptlk unregistered

And the queen of butthurt, meanestalphagenius.

posted on Jan 14, 2017, 11:28 AM 0

53. meanestgenius

Posts: 22076; Member since: May 28, 2014

Lame response from a lame, bumburned, inbred trolling Apple shill that makes faux accounts if me named alphagenius and TheRealGeniusOne. You just outed in yourself, idiot. Lmao!

posted on Jan 14, 2017, 1:40 PM 0

62. Mxyzptlk unregistered

Dude you are admitted to making aliases. You already admitted to not being new here right when you made your current account. Get over it. I exposed you, alphageek. Isn't it time for you to switch back to jplightning now?

posted on Jan 15, 2017, 2:31 PM 0

72. meanestgenius

Posts: 22076; Member since: May 28, 2014

Lol, now you're just projecting because you just got busted. I also like how you didn't deny outing yourself, lol. You exposed yourself, alphagenius/TheRealGeniusOne. Get over it and don't be so stupid next time. Oh, and I see that you unregistered your phldn account, hypocrite. What happened, got tired of me and JP smacking it down? And don't think I didn't notice how you totally avoided responding to me in that other article when you said there was no smartphone market before Apple when asked you to post proof of your use of BB10 and BlackBerry Android handsets, coward. I posted my proof. Your turn, now.

posted on Jan 15, 2017, 4:07 PM 0

82. Mxyzptlk unregistered

Oh I'm not projecting at all, and I'm certainly not busted. You're clearly delusional. I posted the link for all to see. I'll post it again. http://www.phonearena.com/news/BlackBerry-Passport-concept-shows-how-the-phone-will-look-in-white_id57865 Just for bonus points: http://utbblogs.com/the-tide-turning-americans-want-a-blackberry-passport/#comment-6840 What are you babbling about now? I didn't unregister anything. I'm still right here. What are you talking about?

posted on Jan 15, 2017, 9:46 PM 0

91. meanestgenius

Posts: 22076; Member since: May 28, 2014

Rotflmao! You're an idiot. Nowhere did in any of those links did I say I make aliases. But YOU just outed yourself in this very article for making the alphagenius alias to mock me. That, and you made it the same day that you got limited:http://www.phonearena.com/user/thealphagenius Here's your other faux account that you made to mimic me that hasn't been banned yet:http://www.phonearena.com/user/TheRealGeniusOne Bonus points:https://imgur.com/gallery/mMRbI You said in another article that I don't own and iPad. Well, there's my iPad Pro. I asked you to post proof that you have used or owned BB10 and BlackBerry Android handsets or STFU and you STILL haven't done so. Thanks for proving that you just talk sht and troll. And here is your unregistered phldn account in this article, attacking me much like you do for my choice of liking BlackBerry:http://www.phonearena.com/news/With-emphasis-on-software-and-services-BlackBerry-reports-its-highest-gross-margins-ever-in-Q3_id89241 Now, stop deflecting and post the link of you owning or using BB10 and BlackBerry Android handsets. Don't worry, I'll wait....