EU Investigations in Apple e-Book Antitrust Case Closed After Complain is Withdrawn

The European Union is ending an antitrust investigation into Apple e-books, 9to5Mac reported. No verdict has been delivered, as the case has been closed abruptly since the original party that filed it chose to withdraw its complaint. However, this does not equate to a clean chit awarded to Apple. It is just that the party that filed the case has now opted out of it.

While no reason is given for withdrawing the complaint, that could be because it has become irrelevant, given that the Digital Markets Act is now in force. As per the act, Apple can no longer have a monopoly on selling iPhone apps or in-app purchases. By default, this also covers the sale of e-books and everything else via the Apple platform.

“The closure of an investigation is not a finding that the conduct in question complies with EU competition rules. The Commission will continue to monitor business practices in the European tech sector, including those of Apple, both under the DMA [Digital Markets Act] and competition rules,” the Commission stated.

As part of its compliance with the Digital Markets Act, Apple no longer monopolizes iPhone app sales or in-app purchases. Instead, it now allows third-party app stores to be part of its broader ecosystem. Since this applies to e-books as well as sold on its platform, it becomes unnecessary to continue with the investigations.

The case which started back in 2020 has been filed by an unnamed party accusing Apple of forcing users to purchase e-books only via its own platform. This enables Apple to take a 15-30 percent cut on each transaction, something that is in gross violation of the EU competition laws.

With a keen interest in tech, I make it a point to keep myself updated on the latest developments in technology and gadgets. That includes smartphones or tablet devices but stretches to even AI and self-driven automobiles, the latter being my latest fad. Besides writing, I like watching videos, reading, listening to music, or experimenting with different recipes. The motion picture is another aspect that interests me a lot, and I’ll likely make a film sometime in the future.