Apple has been fined 1.1 billion Euros (1.2 billion dollars) from French authorities on Monday for making anti-competitive agreements with two firms in its distribution network.
“The two firms, Tech Data and Ingram Micro, were hit respectively with fines of 76.1 million Euros and 62.9 million Euros,’’ the French competition authority announced.
The products involved included iPads, but not iPhones.
The authority wrote that Apple abusively exploited distributors’ dependence on the tech giant and prevented competition among different Apple distribution channels. And that, in turn, hurt consumers.
The ruling said that Apple had abused the economic dependence of its “premium” resellers on Apple.
Report says the ruling originates in a complaint by Apple trader eBizcuss in 2012.
Apple defended its operations in a statement saying its “investment and innovation supports over 240,000 jobs across the country.”
Apple added that: “It relates to practices from over a decade ago and discards thirty years of legal precedent that all companies in France rely on with an order that will cause chaos for companies across all industries.”
