A class action lawsuit against Apple was given the green light to proceed. The United Kingdom’s Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) rejected Apple’s request block the caseessentially allowing a group of 1,566 app developers, later expanded to nearly 13,000, to go ahead and ask Cupertino to refund £785 million, or about $995 million, in app commissions.
The core argument is that Apple used its monopolistic power to let iOS users download apps through the App Store, and therefore collect a 30% commission on all purchases. The tech company wanted to block the case because British courts have no jurisdiction over commissions on app sales outside the United Kingdom, but the argument was rejected.
The group of developers is led by Sean Ennis, professor at the Center of Competition Policy at the University of East Anglia and former economist at the OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development). They claim that the costs themselves are unfair and that there is unlawful pricing.