Apple has just been condemned vis-à-vis the monopoly of the App Store. The first judgment of a long series in Europe?
The noose is tightening day by day around the Cupertino company. Apple has just been sentenced by the Paris Commercial Court to a fine of one million euros. A drop of water for the apple brand which has generated more than 390 billion dollars per year, but a first decision which could serve as case law.
In its verdict, the court explains in particular that the commercial conditions imposed by Apple on its customers are “abusive”. These practices do not respect the rights of French developers. It all started in 2015 when the fraud prevention department launched an investigation against the two digital giants Apple and Google.
Apple sentenced for the first time
After more than three years of work, it has revealed itself to a ” significant imbalance between the two app stores and the developers. France Digitale has since resumed the fight and legal proceedings have been initiated against Apple. On September 17, 2021, the two parties are heard during a hearing at the Paris Commercial Court.
The judgment gives reason to France Digitale while Apple declared for its part that it wanted to “cgrow into dynamic and competitive markets where innovation can flourish. An Apple spokesperson questioning the verdict assures that the Cupertino company has above all helped French developers to share their work with users around the world, while “creating a secure and trusted place for customers”.
The App Store lives these last hours?
This new court decision calls into question Apple’s monopoly with the App Store. It is still today the only authorized application store on the iPhone and iPad. A situation that has gone on for too long. In the summer of 2020, Apple bans Fortnite from the App Store after Epic Games proposed a third-party payment system, illegal according to Apple. Since then, the rebellion has won the ranks of politicians in Seoul and Brussels.
In South Korea, Apple has already been forced to have its business model assessed. Apple now accepts third-party payments. In Europe, the question is under study. After having bent Apple on the issue of its connection port, the European Commission wants to bring down the firm and its anti-competitive practices.
Today, the app store is in a monopoly situation. Apple takes advantage of this to recoup a 30% commission on all purchases. The latter brought in $70 billion in 2021. A figure that has doubled in less than two years.