French Antitrust Authority Raids Apple’s Offices

French officials have apparently conducted a lengthy raid on Apple’s offices in France. They were looking for evidence of anticompetitive behavior.

The Mac Observer’s Jeff Gamet reported, “French authorities have conducted a raid on Apple’s local offices as part of an investigation into whether or not the Mac, iPhone and iPad maker was unfairly blocking competition by holding back on product shipments to other retailers. Government agents seized documents linked to complaints about Apple’s pricing practices.”

GigaOm’s Jeff John Roberts added, “According to a spokesperson from l’Autorité de la concurrence, the agency is concerned about consumers’ ‘inability to switch’ once they purchase apps from forums like Apple’s App Store, Amazon’s Appstore or Google Play. The spokesperson, speaking to GigaOM on Monday, also confirmed a report that the agency conducted a midnight raid of Apple’s office’s last week and seized documents.”

SlashGear’s Chris Davies observed, “The 24-hour raid of Apple France’s headquarters and its major French wholesalers and distributors was confirmed by the Autorite de la Concurrence, Les Echos reports, though the antitrust agency would not comment further. However, documents are said to have been confiscated for review.”

Hugh Carnegy with The Financial Times noted, “The investigation follows the collapse last year of eBizcuss, previously the biggest reseller of Apple products in France with 15 stores. It lodged a legal complaint against Apple for alleged unfair supply practices. eBizcuss is reported by Les Echos to have also complained to the competition authority, alleging abuse of Apple’s dominant position and unfair competition.”

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