Apple Loses UK Antitrust Lawsuit Over App Store Fees, Faces £1.5 Billion in Damages

Apple engaged successful anticompetitive behaviour by charging App Store developers "excessive and unfair prices" for app organisation services, the UK's Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) ruled contiguous [PDF] (via Reuters).


The Tribunal recovered that Apple abused its marketplace powerfulness by overcharging developers from October 2015 done the extremity of 2020. Developers were forced into utilizing Apple's in-app acquisition strategy and had nary alternate to paying up to a 30 percent committee during that clip period. The excessive fees yet led to higher prices for consumers.

According to the CAT, Apple had a monopoly implicit iOS app organisation and in-app payments. Apple's statement that Android and different platforms were viable alternatives for consumers and developers was rejected. The Tribunal besides did not judge Apple's statement that its rules and fees were required for idiosyncratic information and privacy.

The extremity of 2020 successful the UK's timeline corresponds with the launch of the App Store Small Business Program that saw Apple trim ‌App Store‌ fees for autarkic developers and tiny concern owners. The programme reduced the committee that Apple collected from developers earning nether $1 cardinal per twelvemonth to 15 percent, down from 30 percent. It's besides erstwhile Apple began implementing different ‌App Store‌ changes successful effect to cases similar Epic Games v. Apple.

The people enactment suit was archetypal filed successful 2021 by Kings College London world Dr. Rachael Kent, and the assertion seeks up to £1.5 cardinal successful damages. The play betwixt 2015 and 2020 was selected successful bid to find however overmuch Apple volition request to wage to UK consumers.

A damages proceedings is scheduled for November. Apple said it volition entreaty the ruling.
This article, "Apple Loses UK Antitrust Lawsuit Over App Store Fees, Faces £1.5 Billion successful Damages" archetypal appeared connected MacRumors.com

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