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French mobile application publishers such as Le Figaro and The Team have just filed a complaint against Apple. In question, the operation of the App Store against which many complaints are made.
A complaint filed against Apple by French mobile application publishers. ©Pixabay
This is a case that Apple would have done well. In the United States, the Cupertino company is the subject of a complaint brought by Le Figaro and The Team, president and vice-president of Le Geste, an association that represents publishers of online content and services. In question, the alleged abuse of position – even the violation of competition law – on the market for mobile applications on the part of Apple.
Multiple grievances against Apple
According to the complaint, the apple brand has a “deliberate, anti-competitive and unjustifiable monopoly”. It is thus criticized for offering only one means of reaching users of the brand, via the App Store.
Apple has appropriated the market for the distribution of applications on iOS (…), but not because it has built the best store. Apple deliberately built a monopoly by blocking any potential competition through technical means and contracts with developers.
The amounts of commissions charged by the American firm are also the subject of strong criticism: they amount to 30% and are reduced to 15% for subscriptions beyond the first year. Access to customer data, protected by Apple, is another subject of tension: publishers would like a reader subscribing to a subscription on the App Store to be able to find it more easily on his computer. Finally, the plaintiffs wish to obtain more flexibility, in particular in the payment systems or in the tariff levels (prices currently fixed by Apple at 0.99 €, 1.99 €, etc.).
A complaint reminiscent of that of Epic Games
“This is an unprecedented legal action in terms of its size, scope and challenges. We defend French publishers, but we open the way to those around the world and to a global solution”, declared Bertrand Gié, president of the Gesture. French publishers grouped behind Le Figaro and The Team thus wish that the judgment obliges Apple to change the mode of operation of the App Store. Damages that could exceed one billion dollars are also requested.
As a reminder, this is not the first time that Apple and its App Store have been the subject of a lawsuit. This was already the case in a legal battle between the Cupertino company and Epic Games. A judgment favorable to the developer of Fortnite had been rendered in the United States.