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Apple fined a record $1.2 billion by French antitrust authorities
French antitrust authorities ordered Apple on Monday to pay a 1.1 billion euro ($1.23 billion) fine for anti-competitive behavior.
The French competition authority said the iPhone-maker was guilty of creating cartels within its distribution network and abusing the economic dependence of its outside resellers.
Two of Apple's wholesalers were also fined for agreeing on prices: Tech Data and Ingram Micro received fines of 76.1 million euros and 62.9 million euros respectively. Both companies were not immediately available for comment when contacted by CNBC.
The French authority said this penalty — totaling 1.24 billion euros — was the largest ever handed down in one case.
"Apple and its two wholesalers agreed not to compete and prevent distributors from competing with each other, thereby sterilizing the wholesale market for Apple products," said Isabelle de Silva, president of the French Competition Authority.
[ . . . ] Monday's announcement is the second fine that French authorities have imposed on Apple in two months. The regulators hit Apple with a 25 million euro fine in February over its software updates, which were concluded to have slowed down older iPhones.
Maybe they should have kept the headphone jack.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by Runaway1956 on Monday March 16 2020, @07:51PM (13 children)
Where are we today? A couple dozen big companies pretty much control the tech industry. Maybe 75 companies, combined, run the economy, if we want to include the banking industry. Too big to fail, and all that jazz, right?
Some of those big companies need to be broken, and broken badly, or even destroyed. Get one or two in each industry that is "too big to fail", and the rest will fall into line, and become responsible citizens of the nation, and the world.
You guys who always stand up for the big corporations are as bad as the lelftist crazies. And, everytime "too big to fail" gets tossed around, I'm reminded of it again. You're crazy.
Don't want to do business legally? Then don't do business. Corporates don't own France, or any other nation. Obey the law, or stay out.
(Score: 0, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Monday March 16 2020, @08:15PM (11 children)
No, that's bullshit. You are stomping on the customers' rights to buy what they want to buy. This is strictly a free choice market issue. The state has no right to interfere. If I want to want to buy an iPhone in Europe, you have no right to stop me or the seller from closing the deal.
(Score: 5, Interesting) by Runaway1956 on Monday March 16 2020, @08:21PM (5 children)
No, you're the one spouting bullshit. In effect, Apple set up a mini-monopoly within it's own market. A group of people colluding to fix prices, and to keep other players from even getting into the market.
Please, tell all of us when and how the consumer has BENEFITED by having a price-fixing monoploy dictate how much the consumer will pay for his goods. Be sure to include at least a hundred examples of these benevolent monopolies. If you can convince me how good these monopolies are, I'll be sure to move to a good company town, where all goods are owned and supplied by the company. But, you've got a lot of convincing to do!
(Score: 0, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Monday March 16 2020, @09:04PM (4 children)
a mini-monopoly within it's[sic] own market
Exactly. Nobody has any right to interfere with that market. If it collapses tomorrow, nobody on the outside will care. So, let it go over the cliff if that is where they want to take it. The minute they acquire any influence outside its own market, then you have a legitimate case, not a minute before. Let the black market rule if the cops get in way!
(Score: 3, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Monday March 16 2020, @09:13PM (3 children)
The sane part of the world doesn't recognize your concept of "private markets". Please, define how a market, in which multiple players interact that also interact with the global public at large, is in any way private?
You mean, like, for example, umm, when they tried to peddle their wares to French consumers? Or are those French consumers suddenly the property of Apple Inc?
(Score: 0, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Monday March 16 2020, @09:54PM (2 children)
Their purchase signifies their consent, nobody forces them. The market remains consensual. Is there something difficult about that?
Now the best way to handle this is to put all Apple patents/copyrights under a compulsory license, where competitors will have real leverage. These fines are bullshit wrist slapping.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 17 2020, @12:11AM (1 child)
So you have absolutely no clue about economic monopolies and why they are bad.
Go back to school, get to Econ 101 at a local community college, then we can probably have a decent discussion.
(Score: 0, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 17 2020, @03:04AM
Oh please! Ma Bell, the railroads, and oil companies were monopolies. Your ISP might be a monopoly. Apple, Google, Facebook don't even come close. Even the three networks lost their mojo.
If you want an Apple, you're buying an Apple. Where is there a problem?
Like I told you before, you clear the issue up with compulsory licensing, done, ok? And shitcan the speedballs, you're not studying for finals any more.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by PartTimeZombie on Monday March 16 2020, @09:49PM
France is a nation of laws, just like all the other developed countries. The regulator has decided Apple has broken those laws and levied a fine.
That is how the world works. If Apple think they have a case, they will appeal the fine in France's courts, just like they would in any other country.
Just because Fox News keeps telling you those Communist French are repressing the freedom loving Americans at Apple, doesn't make it true.
(Score: 2) by janrinok on Tuesday March 17 2020, @08:01AM (2 children)
In your country perhaps the laws are written to benefit companies. In most advanced countries the laws are meant to benefit everyone as much as possible. People can buy Apple products, but Apple does not have the right to control the market. Apple are not allowing a 'strictly free choice market', they are rigging the market so that they dictate the rules. NO, absolutely not.
(Score: 1) by shrewdsheep on Tuesday March 17 2020, @01:54PM (1 child)
I wish that was true.
(Score: 2) by janrinok on Tuesday March 17 2020, @02:38PM
Move to one that does at least try then.
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Tuesday March 17 2020, @02:14PM
France isn't stopping you from buying Apple. They are punishing Apple for making you pay too much.
The lower I set my standards the more accomplishments I have.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by Gaaark on Tuesday March 17 2020, @01:45AM
Yes...break them up so they CAN'T be too big to fail': reintroduce competition and make them compete again!
Remember when competition was considered good? Whadafug happened to that?...the rich decided they weren't rich enough. Buy up competition and work things so it's hard to create a start-up TO compete.
Bring back capitalism.
--- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---