Consumer Class Certified in Apple App Store Monopolization Litigation
A California federal judge has certified a class of consumers who allege that Apple has violated antitrust law through its store policies and commissions collected on app and in-app purchases.
The In re: Apple iPhone Antitrust Litigation alleges that, since iOS device users can only obtain apps and in-app content through Apple’s App Store and developers are required to use its payment systems, Apple is unlawfully monopolizing the aftermarket for iOS app and in-app purchases.
A Brattle team – including Nobel Prize winner, Principal Emeritus, and Professor Dr. Daniel McFadden; and Principal and Leader of US Antitrust & Competition Dr. Minjae Song – has been providing economic analysis and expert witness testimony for the consumer plaintiffs. Brattle’s damages model quantifies the impact of Apple’s allegedly anticompetitive conduct across the class members.
The judge also rejected Apple’s bid to exclude testimony from the plaintiffs’ expert witnesses about the definition of the market, the impact on class members, and quantifications of the damages from Apple’s alleged anticompetitive misconduct. The court ruled that Apple’s arguments were unfounded because the methodology of the plaintiffs’ experts relies on sound scientific and economic principles and sufficient data.
