Apple loses bid to throw out UK lawsuit over App Store fees
Apple's bid to dismiss a lawsuit valued at nearly $1 billion was rejected on Friday, with a judge ruling it must face allegations it charged more than 1,500 UK-based developers unfair commission fees on purchases of apps and other content.
Sean Ennis, a competition law professor and economist, is spearheading the case, which was filed at London's Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) last year and alleges Apple charged developers unfair commissions of up to 30%.
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Apple has faced mounting pressure from regulators in the U.S. and Europe over the fees it charges third-party developers distributing apps via the App Store. The company says 85% of developers on its App Store do not pay any commission at all.
In the European Union, new laws have forced Apple to allow users to download apps from rival sources, including websites and alternative app stores. Meanwhile in the U.S., it made changes to its App Store following a long-running legal battle with Epic Games, the company behind «Fortnite».
Apple's lawyer Daniel Piccinin argued at a hearing in January that
