Apple Faces U.K. Class Action Over App Store Charges -- Update
May 11 2021 - 3:47AM
Dow Jones News
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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