Apple Amazon Win Dismissal Antitrust Lawsuit Over iPhone Prices US

A federal judge in Seattle dismissed a 2022 antitrust class action lawsuit accusing Apple and Amazon of conspiring to inflate iPhone and iPad prices by restricting third-party resellers on Amazon's marketplace. The judge's decision was influenced not only by the legal merits but also by plaintiffs' attorneys misleading the court about the withdrawal of the original lead plaintiff while attempting to add new plaintiffs. The court found that the plaintiffs' law firm, Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro, misrepresented the status of the lead plaintiff, resulting in sanctions totaling $223,000 to cover Apple’s and Amazon’s legal fees. Apple and Amazon denied the wrongdoing throughout the case. The plaintiffs alleged a 2019 agreement where Amazon received product discounts from Apple in exchange for reducing the number of independent resellers, which was argued to violate antitrust laws. The plaintiffs have been permitted to file an amended complaint, but the case is currently dismissed.