Apple legal worries grow as long-dormant French case moves ahead - POLITICO Europe

A group of French startups joins a case that could change the way the tech giant runs its App Store.

PARIS — A French case against Apple that's been gathering dust for years could soon add to the tech giant's headaches.

tech giant’s contracts with French app developers and echoes ongoing litigation in California, will move forward in the fall, according to the case file and people familiar with the case.

France’s economy ministry first took Apple to the Paris commercial court four years ago and the case has been advancing quietly amid staunch opposition from the company.

This month France Digitale, a trade association for startups that has become a prominent Apple opponent, was admitted as a co-claimant along with the French state, and has provided additional testimony on how it believes the tech company's contracts harm developers, according to a court document seen by POLITICO.

If the French court sides with the economy ministry and France Digitale, the U.S.

In the U.S., a blockbuster antitrust trial between Apple and game developper Epic Games, that touches upon a 30 percent commission levied by the tech giant, wrapped up in May.

“[In France], we will either have a very clear condemnation of Apple's violation of existing competition law, or proof that the current law does not allow digital giants to be touched,” said Nicolas Brien, president of the European Startup Network, which includes France Digitale, referring to the Paris commercial court case.

France Digitale joining the case is another blow against Apple, which is on a lobbying spree on both sides of the Atlantic to push back against new rules that could inhibit its business.

In the French court, Apple is backed by the App Association, a lobby representing app developers reportedly sponsored by Apple and other tech companies.

According to a second court document obtained by POLITICO, the lawsuit was filed before the Paris commercial court after a two-year investigation by the Directorate General for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control (DGCCRF, in French).

France Digitale also slammed Apple's 30 percent commission and the obligation for developers to exclusively use Apple's payment system, echoing complaints from other companies.