Even though Apple and Amazon requested dismissal of the lawsuit that ``Apple and Amazon conspired to raise the price of Apple products'', it was not accepted



In November 2022, US law firm Hagens Berman filed a class action lawsuit claiming that ``Apple and Amazon are colluding to unfairly raise the prices of iPhones and iPads.'' In response, Apple and Amazon sought to dismiss the lawsuit itself, but it was reported that the federal district court judge did not approve the claims of both companies and the lawsuit moved forward.

Floyd v Amazon Apple 2023-06-08.pdf
(PDF file)

https://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/legaldocs/egpbydobjvq/Floyd%20v%20Amazon%20Apple%202023-06-08.pdf



Apple, Amazon must face consumer lawsuit over iPhone, iPad prices, US judge rules | Reuters
https://www.reuters.com/legal/apple-amazon-must-face-consumer-lawsuit-over-iphone-ipad-prices-us-judge-2023-06-09/

Judge denies Amazon's, Apple's motions to dismiss class action price-fixing suit | Ars Technica
https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2023/06/judge-allows-apple-and-amazon-price-fixing-lawsuit-to-move-forward/

In the past, Apple products that could be purchased on Amazon were only sold by third-party resellers, but due to the contract between Apple and Amazon in 2018, from 2019, only Apple official and authorized resellers will be on the Amazon market. It is now possible to sell on the Place.

Hagens Berman argues that the deal is illegal, removing competitively threatening third-party resellers from the Amazon marketplace and significantly reducing price competitiveness. In November 2022, we filed a class action lawsuit against Apple and Amazon.

``Apple and Amazon are conspiring to unfairly raise the price of the iPhone and iPad,'' accused in a class action-GIGAZINE



As of 2018, there were about 600 third-party resellers of Apple products on Amazon's marketplace, according to the complaint, but that number dropped to seven in mid-2019 after Amazon shut down third-party resellers. That's what I'm talking about. In addition, in return for eliminating third-party resellers, Apple is said to have wholesaled up to 10% off iPhones and iPads to Amazon.

Hagens Berman argues that it is consumers affected by price increases that have been hit hard by the Apple-Amazon deal. 'Consumers used to be able to buy iPhones and iPads on Amazon Marketplace at over 20% off, but now they're pegged to Apple's premium price,' said Hagens Berman. .

In response to this lawsuit, Apple and Amazon had filed a petition to dismiss it as ``there are various legal issues.'' However, Seattle U.S. District Judge John Kugener denied the motion to dismiss and ruled to move the case forward.



Kugener argues that Apple and Amazon are 'vertical' rather than 'horizontal' manufacturers and distributors, and that not all third-party resellers have been excluded from the marketplace. It points out that the violation of the antitrust law that the company complains about is not necessarily recognized as it is. On top of that, he did not approve the dismissal of the lawsuit, saying that the impact of the contract on the ``market for Apple products'' is an issue that should be tried by a jury.

Steve Berman, managing partner of Hagens Berman, told tech outlet Ars Technica: 'This means one of the allegations in the lawsuit is completely intact, and the two big tech companies are I have to answer about the excessive pricing of the iPad and iPhone.'



in Web Service,   Hardware, Posted by log1h_ik