Supreme Court likely to rule against Apple in App Store antitrust case, say early reports

As we reported over the weekend, the Supreme Court is hearing arguments today for a lawsuit brought against Apple over how it handles App Store sales. So far, Supreme Court justices seem to be leaning in favor of consumers and not Apple.

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Here is some background on the case:

The antitrust lawsuit dates back to 2011 and alleges that Apple has created a monopoly by only allowing apps to be sold through its first-party App Store. In turn, the suit also says Apple uses that monopoly to charge excessive commissions.

For its part, Apple claims it is more of a middle man between consumers and app developers than a “distributor.”

Apple argues that it is only acting as an agent for developers who sell to consumers via the App Store, not a distributor.

Some recent cases have been ruled in favor of companies, like the Supreme Court throwing out a lawsuit against American Express that alleged anti-completive practices (via Bloomberg). However, Reuters reports that the Supreme Court justices may be leaning towards siding with consumers.

A final ruling on the case isn’t expected until June of next year.

JUST IN: Supreme Court justices signal sympathy for consumers suing Apple in antitrust dispute over App Store $AAPL pic.twitter.com/lD1mSUIVRE

— Reuters Business (@ReutersBiz) November 26, 2018