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The Supreme Court has opened an antitrust lawsuit against Apple. She rejected Apple's argument that iOS App Store users are not really its customers. The Supreme Court upheld the decision of the court of appeal of the Ninth Circuit in Apple v. Pepper, agreeing in a 5-4 decision that Apple app buyers could sue the company for allegedly driving up prices. "Apple's line drawing does not make much sense, if not a means of gerrymander to escape such pursuits," Judge Brett Kavanaugh wrote.
Apple had claimed that iOS users were technically buying apps from developers, while the developers themselves were customers of the Apple App Store. According to previous legal doctrine, "indirect purchasers" of a product do not have locus standi in antitrust cases. But in today's decision, the Supreme Court ruled that this logic did not apply to Apple.
The court is careful to note that this is an "early stage" of the case – so there is no need to rule on the fact that Apple Is have an illegal monopoly in the App Store. But this could have bigger ramifications for clients who want to sue all business for antitrust violations, and it paves the way for a major battle between Apple and some angry customers.
Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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