December 22, 2024

French Competition Authority Raids Apple's Offices

Posted July 1, 2013 at 6:00pm by iClarified · 9189 views
During a 24-hour operation, French competition authority 'Autorite de la Concurrence' raided Apple's offices and the offices of its major wholesalers and distributors last week, reports Les Echos.

Documents were seized during the raids; however, it's unclear how many and for what reason the raids occurred.

TNW notes that the search may have been prompted by the company's anti-competitive behavior. eBizcuss sued Apple in December 2011 after the company suffered a 30% drop in the third quarter of 2011 when iPad 2 and MacBook Air supplies "dried up". It was forced to liquidate on July 31, 2012 after 36 years in business.

Apple has also been fined multiple times for misrepresenting the warranty coverage of its devices to customers. It apparently failed to pay 5 million euros ($6.5 million) in royalties and taxes on iPads sold in France in 2011 and a French minister Fleur Pellerin recently threatened Apple with EU action over its forced removal of AppGratis from the App Store calling the decision "extremely brutal and unilateral.... This behaviour is not worthy of a company of this size."

Read More [via TNW]