Apple loses bid to block antitrust lawsuit over App Store pricing

Apple’s attempt to block a class-action lawsuit accusing the company of monopolizing the iPhone app market has been rejected by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The lawsuit, filed in 2011, accuses Apple of violating antitrust laws by limiting how users download apps and potentially inflating prices for tens of millions of customers.

The lawsuit, approved in February by U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, allows consumers who have spent at least $10 in the App Store since 2008 to join the case and potentially seek billions in damages.

Why Apple says the lawsuit should be thrown out
Apple opposed the certification, saying it unfairly covers at least 10 million App Store accounts without sufficient evidence of harm. However, the appeals court denied Apple’s request to file a pretrial appeal without a hearing, siding with plaintiffs’ lawyers who believe Judge Rogers’ decision was correct.

The ruling follows a similar class action lawsuit against Google that the 9th Circuit initially agreed to hear before a trial judge reversed his decision to certify the class. Apple tried to find similarities between the two cases, but ultimately failed.

Plaintiffs have expressed frustration with delays caused by Apple’s lawsuit tactics, which they call “scorched earth.” Both sides suggest a possible trial date in 2026.

Importantly, this is a separate lawsuit from the lawsuit filed in March by the US Department of Justice, which accuses Apple of monopolizing the entire smartphone market. Apple denies all allegations and plans to fight both lawsuits.