Lawsuit claims Apple, Amazon colluded to raise iPhone, iPad prices - Reuters

Nov 9 (Reuters) - Apple Inc (AAPL.O) and Amazon.com Inc (AMZN.O) were accused successful an antitrust suit connected Wednesday of conspiring to thrust up iPhone and iPad prices by removing astir each different resellers of caller Apple products from Amazon's website.

The projected people enactment successful Seattle national tribunal objected to an statement that took effect successful January 2019, nether which Apple gave Amazon discounts of up to 10% connected its products, successful speech for Amazon letting conscionable 7 of 600 resellers enactment connected its platform.

This transformed Amazon into the ascendant reseller of caller iPhones and iPads connected its website, according to the complaint, aft it had antecedently carried a constricted fig of Apple products arsenic good arsenic knockoffs.

Prices roseate much than 10%, portion Apple stabilized the prices it charged successful retail stores, the ailment said. Discounts of 20% oregon much that were erstwhile communal nary longer are, it added.

"Erecting barriers to introduction to support competitors retired and raising prices successful the aftermath of their elimination is precisely the benignant of behaviour that Congress enacted antitrust laws to prevent," the ailment said. "The lawsuit is unfastened and shut."

Apple and Amazon did not instantly respond to requests for comment. The combined merchandise gross of Cupertino, California-based Apple and Seattle-based Amazon topped $125 cardinal successful this year's 3rd quarter.

Wednesday's suit covers U.S. residents who bought caller iPhones and iPads connected Amazon since January 2019.

It seeks unspecified triple damages, restitution, and an extremity to the companies' alleged alleged "group boycott."

The named plaintiff, Steven Floyd of Williamsport, Pennsylvania, said helium paid $319.99 for a caller iPad helium bought from Amazon connected the company's website, and was denied a accidental to wage little due to the fact that contention had been stifled.

Last month, an Italian administrative tribunal scrapped a 173.3 cardinal euro ($173.6 million) good against Apple and Amazon by Italy's antitrust regulator for alleged terms collusion.

The lawsuit is Floyd v Amazon.com Inc et al, U.S. District Court, Western District of Washington, No. 22-01599.

(1 euro = US$1.002)

Reporting by Jonathan Stempel successful New York; Additional reporting by Jeffrey Dastin successful San Francisco; Editing by Bill Berkrot

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