Apple has been fighting an antitrust lawsuit against Blix, the developer of BlueMail, an app that was removed from the App Store in June 2019 after violating Apple’s App Store guidelines.
Blix accused Apple of manipulating search results in its App Store to suppress third-party competition, and it also claimed that Apple had copied its patented messaging technology for the Sign In with Apple feature.
Blix had its lawsuit dismissed in December, but then refiled. Apple asked the judge to toss out the case, and the motion was granted, with the case being dismissed a second time on Friday. In a statement, Apple said that Blix had “alleged false conspiracy theories and anti-competitive clams,” and that the judge’s decision confirms that Apple has “consistently acted legally.”
“Blix, a member of the Coalition for App Fairness and frequent complainer to press and regulators, alleged false conspiracy theories and anti-competitive claims against Apple. The court correctly rejected these claims and threw out Blix’s case. This case demonstrates that Apple has consistently acted legally by introducing its own innovative products and features that promote competition.”
According to the judge, Blix was unable to prove in court that Sign In with Apple restricted competition or that Apple’s actions were harming competition.
Apple’s current policy of requiring Sign In With Apple whenever any SSO product is offered permits new competitors and competition (including Blix) because it does not foreclose the use of other SSOs. Allowing competition is the opposite of unlawfully constraining competition, so, again, Blix has failed to state a claim.
Blix is one of several major developers that have joined the anti-Apple Coalition for App Fairness, a group that is against Apple’s alleged anti-competitive policies and App Store fees. Other members include Spotify, Basecamp, Corellium, Epic Games, and Tile, all companies that have also had legal issues with Apple.Tags: App Store, BlueMail
This article, “Apple Says Blix’s Twice-Tossed Anti-Competitive Lawsuit Alleged ‘False Conspiracy Theories'” first appeared on MacRumors.com
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