Apple Can't Escape Dutch App Store Antitrust Lawsuit, EU Court Rules

Apple is not going to beryllium capable to flight a class-action antitrust suit implicit anticompetitive App Store fees successful the Netherlands, the Court of Justice of the EU (CJEU) said today. The determination could spot Apple facing millions of euros successful damages, and it sets a precedent for akin lawsuits successful different European countries (via Reuters).


Apple could yet person to wage up to an estimated 637 cardinal euros to code the harm suffered by 14 cardinal iPhone and iPad users successful the Netherlands.

The suit dates backmost to 2022, erstwhile 2 Dutch user foundations (Right to Consumer Justice and ‌App Store‌ Claims) accused Apple of abusing its ascendant marketplace presumption and charging developers excessive fees. The suit was filed connected behalf of Dutch ‌iPhone‌ and ‌iPad‌ users, and it claimed that Apple's 30 percent committee inflated prices for apps and in-app purchases.

Apple argued that the Dutch tribunal did not person jurisdiction to perceive the lawsuit due to the fact that the EU ‌App Store‌ is tally from Ireland, and truthful the claims should beryllium litigated successful Ireland. Apple said that if the Dutch tribunal was capable to perceive the case, it could pb to fragmentation with aggregate akin cases crossed the EU, positive it argued that customers successful the Netherlands could person downloaded apps portion successful different EU subordinate states.

The District Court of Amsterdam ended up asking the CJEU if it had the jurisdiction to perceive the case, and the CJEU said yes. The tribunal decided that the ‌App Store‌ successful question was designed for the Dutch market, and it offers Dutch apps for merchantability to radical with an Apple ID associated with the Netherlands, giving Dutch courts jurisdiction.

Apple told Reuters that it disagrees with the court's ruling, and that it volition proceed to vigorously support itself. The District Court of Amsterdam expects to perceive the lawsuit toward the extremity of the archetypal 4th of 2026.

The civilian ‌App Store‌ interest lawsuit that Apple is present facing successful the Netherlands is abstracted from the dating app lawsuit that was levied against Apple by ACM, the Dutch contention authority. That lawsuit progressive regulatory enactment that led to caller alternate acquisition options for Dutch dating apps. Apple has besides been fighting that antitrust case, and racked up fines of 50 cardinal euros.
This article, "Apple Can't Escape Dutch App Store Antitrust Lawsuit, EU Court Rules" archetypal appeared connected MacRumors.com

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