Apple strives to prevent the DOJ's antitrust lawsuit from going to trial.
The judge wishes to make a decision on the possible dismissal of the case before January.
Apple has requested a federal judge to dismiss the antitrust case brought by the Department of Justice, arguing that the government's complaints include speculative claims and do not credibly demonstrate that it possesses monopoly power. During a hearing in New Jersey, DOJ attorney Jonathan Lasken responded that the court must apply common sense, referring to the unlikelihood that Apple holds monopoly power while it is supposedly at the mercy of smaller global giants.
Earlier this year, the government and more than a dozen states sued Apple, accusing it of maintaining an illegal monopoly in the smartphone market, which they claim has driven up prices and restricted consumers to its ecosystem. The lawsuit cites five examples of alleged anti-competitive conduct, including the degradation of messaging quality between iPhones and Android devices, as well as limiting the functionality of third-party smartwatches when connected to the iPhone.
Apple argues that the allegations against it are overly speculative and that the case represents a “judicial redesign” of the iPhone. The company seeks to downplay its market influence, asserting that the government does not claim its share of the smartphone market is large enough to constitute monopolistic power. Additionally, the firm has described the third-party developers claiming to be harmed as well-capitalized social media companies, large banks, and global game developers.
U.S. District Court Judge Julien Xavier Neals will have to decide whether the DOJ's case can proceed to trial in its current form or whether some—or all—of the claims should be dismissed. A decision on this matter is expected by January. However, the political context could influence the case, given that a new administration will soon take office, and the Department of Justice under President-elect Donald Trump will continue with this litigation initiated under President Joe Biden’s administration. Trump and members of his potential administration have pointed to "Big Tech" as a persistent enemy, and during his first term, Trump also filed lawsuits against other tech companies, suggesting that Apple should not expect a reprieve.
