AAPL Apple Inc

By Adria Calatayud

Apple Inc. is being sued in the U.K. over the commission it charges on purchases made on its App Store, in a class-action lawsuit that argues that consumers are entitled to compensation.

Legal firm Hausfeld & Co. LLP, which is leading the litigation, and class representative Rachael Kent, lecturer at King's College London, said Tuesday that the claim is being filed in the Competition Appeal Tribunal in London on behalf of around 19.6 million eligible U.K. iPhone and iPad users.

The case alleges that Apple forces ordinary users to use its own payment-processing system, and argues that consumers, not app developers, are at the front of the line for compensation from the company, the claimants said.

In response, Apple said that the lawsuit was without merit, and that the commission charged by the App Store is very much in the mainstream of those charged by all other digital marketplaces.

"We believe this lawsuit is meritless and welcome the opportunity to discuss with the court our unwavering commitment to consumers and the many benefits the App Store has delivered to the U.K.'s innovation economy," a spokesperson for Apple said.

The U.K. legal action comes as a U.S. trial continues in which "Fortnite" videogame maker Epic Games Inc. is accusing Apple of violating U.S. antitrust law. Apple has said its app-marketplace policies are fair.

Write to Adria Calatayud at adria.calatayud@dowjones.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

May 11, 2021 03:32 ET (07:32 GMT)

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