Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh delivered the majority opinion in a decision earlier today for Apple Inc. v. Pepper that will remove a special legal exemption protecting Apple from certain lawsuits.
The plaintiffs argued that Apple had illegally monopolized the aftermarket for iPhone apps. Apple argued that the plaintiffs were not direct purchasers from the company even though they were buying them from the Apple store. Kavanaugh rejected this notion, siding with the more left-leaning justices on the court against Big Tech.
“Apple’s theory would disregard statutory text and precedent, create an unprincipled and economically senseless distinction among monopolistic retailers, and furnish monopolistic retailers with a how-to guide for evasion of the antitrust laws,” Kavanaugh wrote in the majority opinion.
The plaintiffs argued that Apple had illegally monopolized the aftermarket for iPhone apps. Apple argued that the plaintiffs were not direct purchasers from the company even though they were buying them from the Apple store. Kavanaugh rejected this notion, siding with the more left-leaning justices on the court against Big Tech.
“Apple’s theory would disregard statutory text and precedent, create an unprincipled and economically senseless distinction among monopolistic retailers, and furnish monopolistic retailers with a how-to guide for evasion of the antitrust laws,” Kavanaugh wrote in the majority opinion.