Last year, Apple won a 2021 lawsuit in China that accused it of charging excessive commissions on the App Store. Now, one lawyer behind that case is challenging Apple’s App Store practices once again. Here are the details.
A bit of background
In 2021, one Chinese customer filed a lawsuit claiming that Apple’s 30% App Store commission caused higher prices compared to Android. The Shanghai Intellectual Property Court, however, saw it differently.
In its decision, the court said that Apple’s fees weren’t “significantly higher” than the fees practiced on competing app stores, and that, as reported at the time by The South China Morning Post, “there [was] no evidence suggesting that the fees directly led to higher prices for consumers”.
At the time, the law firm representing the client said they planned to file an appeal, and the case remains pending.
Now, under a very different regulatory landscape, one of the lawyers from the original lawsuit has filed a new complaint.
The new complaint
As reported by Reuters, the new lawsuit was filed on behalf of 55 Chinese iPhone and iPad users, and it argues that “Apple maintains a monopoly over iOS app distribution in China while permitting alternative payment methods and app stores in other markets following regulatory pressure from the European Union and United States”.
Filed with China’s State Administration for Market Regulation, the complaint accuses the company of:
- Forcing consumers to purchase digital goods exclusively through Apple’s In-App Purchase system
- Restricting iOS app downloads to the App Store
- Charging commissions of up to 30% on in-app purchases
As regular 9to5Mac readers know, these accusations echo arguments that have proven effective in markets where Apple has faced tighter regulatory scrutiny, or was outright compelled to make changes. Whether they’ll be as effective in China, renewed tensions between Beijing and Washington notwithstanding, remains to be seen.
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