In a lawsuit, the developer of competing app store Cydia accuses Apple of illegally monopolizing the distribution of software for its iOS operating system with its own app store. Apple, on the other hand, claimed in court that Cydia developer Jay Freeman’s claims were time-barred, but the court has now rejected this objection. This is Freeman’s second attempt to sue in court after the first attempt failed. reports Reuters.
“Technical prevention” of free competition
On Thursday, US District Court Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers in Oakland, California, dismissed Apple’s claim that Cydia’s SaurikIT allegations were outside the four-year limit set by federal antitrust laws. says the Reuters report. Freeman originally filed a lawsuit against Apple in 2020; he says, among other things, that the company prohibits the free distribution of software for iPhones and iPads and also prevents it technically, making it difficult for competition. Cydia is an alternative app store that requires you to jailbreak an iOS device from Apple restrictions before you can use it.
Apple had previously argued against the first lawsuit, among other things, that Cydia only reached iOS devices through unauthorized methods, such as jailbreaking. Free distribution outside of Apple’s own App Store was never allowed and the App Store’s business decision was over ten years ago, meaning Cydia’s claim is time-barred. Judge González Rogers initially followed this argument and dismissed the lawsuit in January of this year.
The second demand can continue
However, in January 2022, the judge left open the opportunity to file a new lawsuit with amended allegations, which Freeman promptly did. Freeman’s lawyers argued that this time Apple released technology updates between 2018 and 2021 that “obviously” served to harm other app distributors like Cydia and lock them into the only software platform allowed on iOS.
The judge in the second lawsuit (SaurikIT LLC v. Apple Inc, US District Court, Northern District of California, No. 4:20-cv-08733-YGR) followed this reasoning and ruled against the application. Apple to dismiss the lawsuit. Therefore, the court recognizes that the claims made have not prescribed and the lawsuit can continue.
Freeman discontinued its Cydia app store in 2018 and since then it is no longer possible to purchase apps. However, the software can still be used as a package manager on jailbroken iOS devices. Other providers may also provide repositories with paid apps.
Apple under criticism
Apple has been criticized for its restrictive app store model and has had to defend itself against lawsuits in several court cases. The most notorious case is the dispute with Epic Games. The company similarly argues with Cydia with technical limitations that made it difficult to compete. In the lengthy legal battle between Epic Games and Apple, the appeal process began earlier this year. Additionally, Apple tried to respond to developer criticism with out-of-court settlements; the concessions the company has made thus far, however, have been met with derision and ridicule.
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