Word has been going around that the users of Apple might move to sue the multi-million dollar company over monopoly charges.
In a recent turn of events, the US Court of Appeals revived a long standing court battle that was originally filed in 2012. The legal battle shoots down Apple for monopoly of the marketplace by not allowing iPhone apps to be sold anywhere outside of their App Store. This ultimately led to higher prices.
A group of iPhone users filed the case suing the company for being anti-competitive. Apple was soon to lash back at the claims by stating that the users had no right to sue the company as Apple directly purchased its apps from the developers. The company said that it was simply "renting out" its space for developers.
In this exchange, developers agree to pay a portion of their revenue to Apple. Although a lower court agreed with Apple's claims, Judge William A. Fletcher would have none of it. The Judge argued that the Apple users could sue the company as they were directly purchasing their apps from it.
In regards to this statement, Apple has made no comment, yet.
According to Fortune, the courts have yet to begin addressing the substance of these allegations. Up until this point the discussions has been over whether iPhone users retain the right to sue the company in the first place or not.
In the case where the iPhone users win this battle, this will force Apple to allow users to purchase their apps from anyplace they want. This in turn would cut prices and open the market.
Mark C Rifkin, a lawyer from Wolf Haldenstein Adler Freeman & Herz who is representing the plaintiffs, weighed in on the issue and stated that the only other alternative to the prior scenario would be to make Apple pay.
He stated that "The other alternative is for Apple to pay people damages for the higher than competitive prices they've had to pay historically because Apple has utilized its monopoly."
