A recent decision by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals marks a setback for Apple in its ongoing legal battle over alleged monopolistic practices related to its iPhone App Store. The court’s refusal to entertain Apple’s pretrial appeal solidifies the progress of a class action lawsuit, allowing consumers to pursue significant damages. Here are the key points summarizing the situation:
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- The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals denied Apple’s request for a pretrial appeal in a class action lawsuit.
- The lawsuit accuses Apple of monopolizing the market for iPhone apps, leading to artificially high prices.
- U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers certified a class of consumers who have spent $10 or more on Apple apps or in-app purchases since 2008.
- The lawsuit, originally filed in 2011, alleges that Apple violated U.S. antitrust law.
- Apple’s appeal was denied without a hearing, advancing the lawsuit towards a potential trial.
- Apple contended that allowing over 10 million App Store accounts to be included in the case would be unjust without proving harm to the account holders.
- Plaintiffs’ attorneys argued that Judge Rogers applied previous rulings correctly in approving the class status.
- Apple cited a similar case involving Google, where the 9th Circuit had agreed to review a class action of 21 million consumers.
- The Apple case could potentially go to trial as early as 2026.
- This lawsuit is not Apple’s only antitrust challenge; in March, the U.S. Justice Department accused Apple of monopolizing the smartphone market in a separate case filed in New Jersey federal court.
