Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is preparing to request the dismissal of the U.S. Department of Justice’s antitrust lawsuit against the company.
What Happened: Lawyers representing Apple have sent a letter to the judge overseeing the case in New Jersey, outlining the arguments they will present in the formal motion to dismiss the lawsuit next month.
The letter states that the government’s complaint does not allege anticompetitive conduct, substantial anticompetitive effects, or monopoly power in a relevant market, reported Bloomberg.
“This court should reject the invitation to forge a new theory of antitrust liability that no court has recognized, that would harm innovation, and that would only deprive consumers of the key competitive features that make iPhone distinctive,” the tech giant stated in its filing.
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The U.S. government is expected to respond to Apple’s letter by May 30, and the court’s ruling on the formal motion to dismiss is due later this year or early next year. If the case goes to trial, proceedings are unlikely to occur for at least a few years.
Why It Matters: The DOJ’s lawsuit, filed in March, accuses Apple of violating antitrust laws by blocking rivals and app developers from accessing key hardware and software features. This lawsuit followed similar moves by other regions, including the EU, to curb Apple’s power.
Apple has been vocal in its defense against the lawsuit. Previously, the iPhone-maker said that the lawsuit posed a threat to the company’s core principles and its ability to innovate. “It would also set a dangerous precedent, empowering government to take a heavy hand in designing people’s technology.”
Earlier, Wedbush analyst Daniel Ives said that the antitrust lawsuit will “kick off a stepped-up phase of the Beltway going after Apple.” He went on the add that the lawsuit could challenge the “core business model” of the Cupertino, California-based tech giant.
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