What you need to know
- Apple has been sued over its App Store again.
- It faces a class-action lawsuit in California.
- The suit claims the usual list of grievances regarding iOS and Apple's App Store.
Apple faces another lawsuit regarding the iOS App Store used on devices like the iPhone 13 and its other best iPhones.
As noted by AppleInsider, a class-action lawsuit filed against the company in California claims that Apple is engaged in anti-competitive behavior by limiting devices that use iOS to only using iOS, and by making developers agree to App Store terms that include restricting third-party app stores and payments, funneling all business through Apple's own in-app payments through which Apple can take a commission.
The suit states "Apple's motive for its anticompetitive conduct was simple: Apple did not want its iOS Device-related revenue stream to end when a consumer bought an iOS Device, like it generally does when consumers purchase iMac and MacBook computers" and claims Apple "concocted and maintained a plan" to keep generating revenue by "cornering the distribution market" for iOS apps. The class covers anyone who has bought an app on the App Store since December 2007, which could quite possibly be everyone who has ever bought an iOS device.
The suit's grievances line up pretty much with those of the high-profile Epic Games trial. Earlier this week a court denied Apple's motion to delay an injunction passed down against the company which will prevent it from prohibiting developers from telling users about other ways to pay for apps and will let them link to external payment methods such as a website.
The ruling in the case has been appealed by both Apple and Epic to the Ninth Circuit, and will likely drag on for several more years.
