Apple Loses Bid To Appeal US Antitrust Class Action: Here's What Went Down

Apple's legal team compared this case to a previous class-action lawsuit involving Google, which the Ninth Circuit had agreed to review.

Earlier this year, the plaintiffs criticised Apple's litigation approach.

Apple has just lost a bid to appeal a court order allowing consumer antitrust class action. US District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers has certified a class of consumers who have spent at least $10 on Apple app or in-app purchases since 2008. The lawsuit, initiated in 2011, alleges that Apple has violated US antitrust laws by excessively restricting how customers can download apps.

Neither Apple nor the plaintiffs' attorneys provided immediate comments on Tuesday following the certification. The US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit rejected Apple's appeal to reconsider the class certification without holding a hearing.

Apple contended that the certification would unjustly include over 10 million App Store accounts in the lawsuit without adequate demonstration of harm to the account holders. However, the plaintiffs' attorneys argued that Judge Rogers accurately applied existing legal precedents in her decision to grant class status.

Apple's legal team compared this case to a previous class-action lawsuit involving Google, which the Ninth Circuit had agreed to review. However, the appellate court did not issue a ruling in the Google case after the trial judge decided to reverse his initial order approving the class-action status.

Earlier this year, the plaintiffs criticised Apple's litigation approach, describing it as a "scorched-Earth" strategy that has led to excessive delays in the case's progress. Both parties have proposed a potential trial date in 2026.

In a related matter, the US Justice Department accused Apple in March of monopolising the smartphone market in a lawsuit filed in federal court in New Jersey. Apple has denied these allegations and indicated plans to seek the dismissal of the lawsuit.

Meanwhile, Apple could soon change the logo on iPad's rear panel. The company's industrial designer Molly Anderson has hinted at a change in Apple logo in future iPad models. He mentioned that the current vertical logo might not be permanent, suggesting future changes could be on the horizon. He also discussed the orientation of the Apple logo on the iPad when used with a keyboard case or in landscape mode. 

Though a logo orientation change is primarily cosmetic, it would symbolise a significant update in the design language of the Apple iPad.