Apple is the target of another class-action lawsuit in the Netherlands. The 5 billion euro (about $5.5 billion USD) lawsuit alleges that Apple abuses its position to monopolize the App Store with its 30% App Store commission.
The complaint alleges that Apple’s 30% cut of the action on app and in-app purchases on the App Store amounts to monopolistic behavior, forcing developers to increase their prices.
The Consumer Competition Claims Foundation says the potential harm could add up to nearly 5 billion euros, or about $5.5 billion.
The foundation is calling for all European Union consumers who have made a purchase in the App Store or in-app since September 2009 to join the class-action lawsuit, soon to be filed in Amsterdam District Court.
The new lawsuit is a fresh legal challenge for Apple in the Netherlands, as Dutch antitrust regulators have already fined Apple more than 50 million euros after ruling that the company’s ban on alternate payment systems violated local regulations.
For its part, Apple denies that its systems are not compliant. It has also refused to make any changes to the Netherlands’ App Store.
