Apple has asked a New Hampshire federal court to dismiss a “retooled” complaint from the developer of a coronavirus-tracking app accusing the tech giant of violating antitrust law by keeping the app from its store, saying it did not seek the court’s permission for five new plaintiffs to file anonymously, reports Law360.
The report notes that, in a 26-page filing made public Tuesday, Apple argued that Coronavirus Reporter’s revised US$800 million lawsuit repeated the same allegations made in the original complaint filed in January, that the developer erroneously added five unnamed apps purporting to be plaintiffs, and copied and pasted claims from at least three other pending antitrust cases against the company in the Northern District of California.
The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the New Hampshire District over the fact that Coronavirus Reporterwas denied entry to the App Store in March 2020. Coronavirus Reporter, the lawsuit claims, was developed by a team of healthcare and computer science experts in February 2020 to “capture and obtain critical biostatistical and epidemiological data as it happened.”
However, Apple wouldn’t allow the app on the App Store because the tech giant bars coronavirus-related apps that aren’t from recognized medical, government, or other institution. The app’s developers appealed to no avail.
They say Apple’s actions constitute violations of the anti-monopoly Sherman Act. They want an enjoinment on the alleged anti-competitive behavior; damages in excess of US$75,000; and a permanent injunction restraining Apple’s ability from “restricting reasonable applications.”
