Apple Sues FAS In Economic Dispute Over App Store Alternative Payments

Apple sues Russia's antitrust service. (photo credit: pixabay)

JAKARTA - Apple has started legal proceedings against Russia's anti-monopoly regulator in a dispute over alternative payment options on its App Store platform. The process was reported by RIA news agency on Sunday 5 December citing the filing of the lawsuit in court.

Russia opened an antitrust case against Apple in late October, accusing it of failing to allow app developers to notify customers of alternative payment options when using its App Store. It said Apple could face fines based on its income in Russia if found guilty.

In documents published on December 1, the Moscow Court of Arbitration listed Apple as the plaintiff and the Russian Federal Anti-monopoly Service (FAS) as defendants in an "economic dispute over administrative legal relations."

Apple, which did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment, demanded additional documents be added to the case by December 2, RIA reported.

Forbes Russia quoted an FAS representative as saying that the proceedings were linked to a warning issued on August 30 over Apple's alleged failure to notify users that they can also pay for purchases outside the App Store. FAS did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters.

Apple faced resistance to App Store rules in the United States in September when a federal judge issued a ruling forcing the company to allow developers to send their users to other payment systems.