Apple has been put under investigation in India for allegedly abusing its dominant market position in regard to the App Store. The official rule in other countries is that the only way to sell an iPhone app is through the official Apple App Store. Apple sets the commissions, and developers are forced to accept these terms. According to Apple, this phenomenon doesn’t create a situation of monopoly as the relevant market is mobile apps, and the App Store only has a slice of that market.
Regulators, on the other hand, believe that the iPhone app market is relevant and that it is anti-competitive to prohibit developers from selling apps through third-party app stores or directly from their own websites, as is the case with Mac apps.
According to Reuters, the Indian regulator has now recalled both of the reports it released in response to developer complaints, following Apple’s objection. According to Reuters,
“India’s antitrust body has taken the unusual step of recalling two reports that detailed alleged breaches of competition law by Apple, which complained that the regulator had disclosed commercial secrets to competitors, including Tinder-owner Match […]”
Apple’s opponents were asked by the Competition Commission of India (CCI) to return the reports. “It is imperative that such information be maintained confidential, ensuring that no unauthorized disclosure occurs,” the CCI said in a four-page order signed by its top four officials.
Both the reports had the conclusion that Apple was guilty of antitrust breaches. Although the nature of the confidential information has not been released, it is speculated that it mostly relates to Apple’s revenues from app sales within the country.
