China Regulator To Review Apple Antitrust Complaint (bloomberg.com)

China's State Administration for Industry and Commerce is reviewing an antitrust complaint accusing Apple of abusing its dominant position in smartphone applications, people familiar with the matter told Bloomberg. From the report: The regulator is studying the information following a complaint filed on behalf of developers before deciding if a formal investigation is necessary, said the people, who asked not to be named because the matter isn't public. The review is preliminary and Chinese antitrust agencies usually review such information before deciding whether a official probe is needed. Beijing-based law firm Daxiao, or Dare & Sure, said earlier this month it filed complaints on the developers' behalf to the SAIC and the National Development and Reform Commission. The lawyers accused Apple of removing apps without a proper explanation and taking an excessive 30 percent cut of in-app transactions, it said in an Aug. 8 statement. The law firm now represents close to 50 developers, producing games and a number of other apps, according to Lin Wei, managing partner of Dare & Sure.

Comments

trustworthy and unbiased

[XXongo]

I'm sure that the Chinese regulatory agencies are completely trustworthy and unbiased, so we can be sure that there are no hidden motives of the Chinese government here.

Apple doesn't have a smartphone app monopoly

[cant_get_a_good_nick]

It has an iPhone app store monopoly.

Apple is in a weird position here. People actually spend money on iOS apps because they trust the store. People only trust Apple App Store because Apple exerts control over it. This suit wants people to buy their apps, but to destroy the control Apple has that makes people actually trust sending money to developers.