On the 13th (local time), a class-action lawsuit trial worth £1.5 billion (approximately 2.7 trillion won) regarding Apple’s antitrust law violations will begin in the United Kingdom.
The Financial Times (FT) reported that if Apple does not reach a last-minute settlement with the plaintiffs, the hearings on that day are expected to take place at the Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT), which corresponds to the first trial of the antitrust case. The plaintiffs argue that Apple abused its market dominance by forcing software developers to use its app store, creating a monopoly situation.
They also demand £1.5 billion, claiming that Apple imposes ‘excessive and unfair’ fees of up to 30% on software sales in its app store, which burdens consumers. In contrast, Apple has argued that the app store fees were not excessive compared to other digital markets since the lawsuit was first filed in 2022.
Apple's position is that, since most apps are offered for free, there are no fees, and most developers bear a discounted fee of 15%. Apple also contends that the plaintiffs have defined the market too narrowly by limiting it to the iOS operating system.
In the United Kingdom, a legal amendment was made about 10 years ago to allow class-action lawsuits for competition law violations, and this lawsuit is the first case to be brought to trial under this amendment, FT reported.
While there have been several lawsuits against technology corporations, most have stalled in lengthy procedural disputes.