DOJ v Apple Statement

On Thursday, March 21, the Department of Justice (DoJ) announced its lawsuit against Apple, challenging several aspects of Apple’s ecosystem. ACT | The App Association President Morgan Reed responded:

“This lawsuit would do nothing to help small app companies and would weaken the distribution options they rely upon.

“Managed app ecosystems have proven critical to the success and growth of small app companies because they enable these developers to compete directly with the largest, most well-resourced entities doing business on the app stores. This lawsuit puts the interests of those corporate giants above the smallest firms that have made the mobile app ecosystem such a vibrant and competitive marketplace.

“If successful, this lawsuit would reduce competition between app stores by requiring all app stores to act the same. In such a landscape, customers will gravitate toward large, already-trusted brands instead of smaller companies they don’t already know. Similarly, small app companies could expect a more monochrome and less responsive app distribution ecosystem, as the marketplaces are compelled to first serve the largest competitors that are the source of the lawsuit. We will monitor this case closely and hope it is dismissed at an early stage.”