Apple facing new $5.5 billion App Store antitrust lawsuit in the Netherlands

Apple has been hit with a new class action lawsuit in the Netherlands alleging that it abuses its monopoly position with its 30% App Store commission.

The Dutch complaint claims that Apple's 30% cut of app and in-app purchases on the App Store amounts to monopolistic behavior and forces developers to increase their prices.

According to the Consumer Competition Claims Foundation, the potential harm could add up to nearly 5 billion euro, or about $5.5 billion.

The Dutch foundation calls for all European Union consumers who have purchased an app in the App Store or made an in-app purchase since Sept. 2009 to join its class action complaint, set to be filed in the Amsterdam District Court.

This new lawsuit is separate from a previous case in the Netherlands. The Dutch antitrust regulator has fined Apple more than 50 million euros after it found that the company's ban on alternate payment systems violated local regulations.

Apple denies that its systems are out of compliance. It has also refused to make any changes to its App Store in the country.

The iPhone maker has been in the crosshairs of antitrust regulators across the globe, including in the U.S. Apple is also still in the midst of a legal battle with Epic Games over its 30% App Store commission.

96 Comments

iOS_Guy80 5 Years · 905 comments

About 2 years ago

I don’t understand these countries chastising and calling Apple a monopoly. If some other individual, entity or company can develop a better smart phone I would be more than interested in considering buying it but until then I want the best phone available which is an iPhone. Don’t penalize Apple or me for owning an iPhone.

22july2013 11 Years · 3736 comments

iOS_Guy80 said:

I don’t understand these countries chastising and calling Apple a monopoly. If some other individual, entity or company can develop a better smart phone I would be more than interested in considering buying it but until then I want the best phone available which is an iPhone. Don’t penalize Apple or me for owning an iPhone.

I truly look forward to Apple pulling either their App Store or their phones from a jurisdiction. I wonder how removing one major smartphone company from the marketplace eliminates the "monopoly" problem.

macuserosu 6 Years · 56 comments

22july2013 said:

iOS_Guy80 said:

I don’t understand these countries chastising and calling Apple a monopoly. If some other individual, entity or company can develop a better smart phone I would be more than interested in considering buying it but until then I want the best phone available which is an iPhone. Don’t penalize Apple or me for owning an iPhone.

I truly look forward to Apple pulling either their App Store or their phones from a jurisdiction. I wonder how removing one major smartphone company from the marketplace eliminates the "monopoly" problem.

The problem is if they do that, it likely would bate the belief that they were a monopoly even more. Apple unfortunately is in a loose loose proposition.

jdw 18 Years · 1457 comments

Apple should countersue for harassment. It is harassment. Since when does a fee society dictate percent profit a company makes? If Apple is not allowed to counter sue, they should change their rate to 29.9% to ensure it is less than the dangerous 30.0% the Netherlands hates so much.

We used to talk about the Insanely Great. These days, it's just the insane that dominates.

camber 9 Years · 26 comments

One sparrow doesn't make for Spring. One company doesn't make a market. Allegations of monopoly are ludicrous. This is some of the worst thinking I have ever seen!