On May 13th, the U.S. Supreme Court, agreed that consumers could participate in Apple Class Action lawsuits based on claims that Apple monopolized the after-market in its sales of iPhone Apps.
The US Supreme Court ruled that Apple is subject to class action lawsuits based on its sales of Apps through the Appstore.
Apple apparently charges App developers a 30% fee for selling apps through the Appstore. This increased fee caused a higher fee for sellers who passed these higher fees onto its App purchasers which decreased competition. Actions which decrease competition are generally considered unlawful and are in violation of the Sherman Act.
Apple Class Action Lawsuits
The Apple class action lawsuits are based on the fact that iPhone owners were forced into buying apps only from Apple’s Appstore. In a more competitive environment, purchasers could purchase apps from other retailers resulting in greater competition and lower prices.
If you purchased iPhone Apps, you could be entitled to getting some money back from Apple.