APPLE AND AMAZON CLEARED IN IPHONE AND IPAD PRICE-FIXING LAWSUIT

Apple and Amazon have been cleared in a long-running lawsuit that accused the companies of conspiring to inflate the prices of iPhones and iPads sold through Amazon's marketplace.

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A federal judge dismissed the case this week, ruling that the evidence presented by plaintiffs failed to demonstrate an illegal agreement under U.S. antitrust law.

THE ALLEGATIONS

The lawsuit, filed in 2019, centered on a deal between Apple and Amazon that limited the number of third-party Apple resellers allowed on Amazon's platform. Plaintiffs argued that the agreement artificially reduced competition by excluding independent sellers who often listed iPhones and iPads at discounted prices. By restricting supply, they claimed, Apple and Amazon drove up prices and harmed consumers.

Consumer advocates framed the case as an example of two tech giants colluding to control online marketplaces, arguing that Amazon's role as both a platform operator and a retailer gave it an unfair advantage in negotiations with Apple.