Apple loses antitrust appeal in Germany, could face new App Store rules

Apple has been facing increased antitrust scrutiny in Germany since a new law came into effect, and the company has now lost its latest appeal. The Bundeskartellamt (Federal Cartel Office) had argued that it should have the right to directly order Apple to make changes to the way that it runs the App Store, and a court has now granted it this right … A key difference between US and European law There is a fundamental difference in the US and European legal approach to antitrust issues. In both countries, regulators need to first prove that a company has acted in a way that interferes with competition by other companies. However, US law requires them to also demonstrate that this action has resulted in actual harm to consumers, for example by proving they are paying higher prices. In Europe, regulators only need show that the anti-competitive behavior creates the potential for consumers to be harmed. This allows them to intervene at a much earlier stage, with the idea of prevention ... Read full article.