After 16 months of investigation and review, Italy's antitrust agency has finally decided to fine Amazon and Apple more than 200 million euros ($228 million). While Amazon received a fine of 68,7 million euros ($77 million), Apple was fined up to 134,5 million euros ($151 million). As we all expect, Apple and Amazon will disagree with this decision.
According to the Italian antimonopoly agency, some clauses of the "restrictive agreement" signed by the two companies in 2018 prohibit official and unofficial distributors of Apple and Beats products from using amazon.it. The agreement harms the interests of consumers and some sellers, and also violates free competition. This, moreover, is a violation of Italian legislation and European standards.
This agreement excludes non-Apple retailers from Amazon's Italian website. As such, sales of Apple and Beats branded products are reserved for Apple, Amazon and authorized retailers only. This approach prevents unauthorized (independent) retailers from selling through Amazon. This is regardless of whether they purchased products from wholesalers legally or not.
Italy's antitrust agency believes the deal between Amazon and Apple killed unauthorized resellers. It also creates a "serious barrier to the entry of unofficial resellers into the online sales market." In addition, it reduces the online offering of Apple and Beats products.
Brazil fines Apple for not having a charger included with the iPhone 13
A Brazilian consumer protection organization said it would fine Apple for refusing to include a charger in the iPhone 13 kit and is obligated to provide a free charger to everyone.
According to Brazilian publication TechTudo, the $1,9 million fine is the maximum under the country's law. However, Apple will not be able to appeal this decision in less than six months.
Six months after the first fine, Apple launches new iPhones and Brazil intends to fine the company again. The regulator says that consumers expect to get a smartphone with a charger at the price specified by the manufacturer. The need to buy a charger for a separate fee is an exaggeration.
The interesting thing about this fine is that it's not because Apple didn't include a charger in the box. Penalty for the fact that the company did not inform customers about the exclusion of the charger from the set.
Apple says on its website that the iPhone doesn't come with a charger, but the regulator says that's not enough, saying that information should be visible, not hidden.
