It’s the highest fine ever dispensed by French authorities
Aside from lagging sales because of the COVID-19 outbreak, Apple has another problem in its hands in 2020: the French competition authority, the Autorité de la Concurrence has fined the company a massive 1.2$ billion for illegally restricting how wholesalers sell Apple products.
The fine originated from a 2012 complaint from premium reseller eBizcuss.com. French authorities found that Apple was guilty of anti-competitive practices that included agreements with Apple and two of its wholesalers to note compete with each other, stopping premium resellers from lowering prices, and unfairly treating those very same resellers.
“Apple and its two wholesalers agreed not to compete with each other and to prevent distributors from competing with each other, thereby sterilising the wholesale market for Apple products,” the competition watchdog said.
Apple, for their part, said that the decision was “disheartening”, and that it would appeal the decision.
“It relates to practices from over a decade ago and discards 30 years of legal precedent that all companies in France rely on with an order that will cause chaos for companies across all industries,” it said in a statement.
