Company officially responds to antitrust claims

May 14, 2019 08:41 GMT  ·  By

Apple plays down the recent antitrust lawsuit that received the go-ahead from the Supreme Court, with the company explaining that the App Store isn’t a monopoly “by any metric.”

According to the legal action, which can now move forward as per the Supreme Court’s decision, Apple might be violating antitrust regulations by forcing the App Store on iPhones and then charging developers for selling their apps here.

In its statement, Apple denies the monopoly claims, explaining instead that the App Store is the most secure platform for its customers.

“Today’s decision means plaintiffs can proceed with their case in District court. We’re confident we will prevail when the facts are presented and that the App Store is not a monopoly by any metric. We’re proud to have created the safest, most secure and trusted platform for customers and a great business opportunity for all developers around the world. Developers set the price they want to charge for their app and Apple has no role in that,” the company told CNBC in a statement.

Free apps

At the same time, Apple emphasizes that some of the apps published in the App Store are actually offered with a free license, which means the company doesn’t receive a single cent when they are downloaded.

Apple doesn’t say how many apps are offered for free, but it refers to this category as “the vast majority of apps.” The company “gets nothing from them,” it explains.

“The only instance where Apple shares in revenue is if the developer chooses to sell digital services through the App Store. Developers have a number of platforms to choose from to deliver their software – from other apps stores, to Smart TVs to gaming consoles – and we work hard every day to make sure our store is the best, safest, and most competitive in the world,” the firm continues.

Despite the lawsuit allowed to go through, it could take years until a final court decision is being made, so it remains to be seen what impact this legal action could have on the App Store.