U.S. Judge Dismisses iPhone Antitrust Complaint Against Apple

U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers has today dismissed an iPhone antitrust lawsuit against Apple in Oakland, California, which argued that the Cupertino company has built a monopoly for iPhone applications because they’re only for sale at its App Store, Bloomberg reports.

Judge

(U.S. District Judge: Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers)

According to the complaint, which was originally filed back in 2011, Apple’s requirement that iPhone software developers turn over 30% of what they charge for an application, increases prices and excludes competitors from the iPhone “aftermarket” of applications. However, Judge Gonzalez dismissed the case, writing that the plaintiffs failed to prove “collective allegations that they have been deprived of lower cost alternatives, paid higher prices for Apple-approved applications, or had their iPhones disabled or destroyed”.

“At a minimum, plaintiffs must allege facts showing that each named plaintiff has personally suffered an injury-in-fact based on Apple’s alleged conduct,” wrote Gonzalez.

Alexander Schmidt, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, said in a phone interview that he’ll have “no difficulty” refiling the case to meet the judge’s requirements. “We can add the extra detail very easily” to advance the claim Apple has “cornered the distribution market for software for the iPhone,” he said.

Gonzalez also wrote that the complaint against Apple can still be amended and refiled.

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