A seven-week court case has begun in the UK, alleging that Apple's 30% commission on App Store transactions violates competition law and harms consumers. Dr. Rachel Kent's claim, representing nearly 20 million UK iPhone and iPad users, seeks over £1.5 billion in compensation. Apple has attempted to address concerns by making some adjustments to its App Store fees in response to pressure from European lawmakers, but Hausfeld, the law firm representing Dr. Kent, argues that these changes are insufficient to compensate for past losses.
Seven weeks of court action began this week as a case over alleged breaches of competition law by Apple is heard at the UK's Competition Appeal Tribunal .finally kicked off on January 13 and is expected to last until February 27. At its core is a claim that Apple 's 30 percent commission breaches UK and EU competition law and that the tech biz is abusing its dominant position to the detriment of consumers.
Apple has attempted to change its ways in some parts of the world in the years since the claim was first proposed. Under pressure from European lawmakers, the company trimmed some fees andin the US over its practices, and there are numerous developers ready to levle criticism over the operation of its App Store. Last year, AppleA spokesperson for Hausfeld, the law firm working on the claim, dismissed Apple's tentative moves to open up its app store.
"Whether future changes will fully address all of the issues in Dr Kent's claim depends very much on what changes Apple implements." The spokesperson for Hausfeld said of the Apple case:"The discounted fees only apply to a minority of transactions and most have only been incepted in recent years. Consequently, the vast majority of transactions which are the subject of Dr Kent's claims attract a commission of 30 percent.
APPLE COMPETITION LAW APP STORE FEES CONSUMER RIGHTS
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