iOS developer sues Apple over alleged app monopoly

Apple logo. Pic/AFP

A mobile app developer has filed a lawsuit against Apple, accusing the tech giant of exploiting its monopoly power over iOS apps, the media reported on Thursday.

The lawsuit filed by Kosta Eleftheriou in the state of California alleged that Apple made "billions of dollars in profits at the expense of small application developers and consumers."

The lawsuits accuses Apple of "false advertising, unfair competition in violation of California's business and professions code and breach of good faith".

Apple was yet to comment on the lawsuit, reports The Verge. The developer last month went to Twitter to complain about App Store and its policies.

He tweeted: "The App Store has a big problem. You: an honest developer, working hard to improve your IAP conversions. Your competitor: a $2M/year scam running rampant".

Epic Games, the maker of Fortnite, has also targeted both Apple and Google with antitrust lawsuits over the removal of the battle royale game for use of an alternative in-app payment system.

Eleftheriou's complaint said that this is evidence of Apple "flexing its monopoly muscle against potential competition":

He alleged that even after his app became the No 1 paid app on the App Store after it was approved, earning him $130,000 in its first month of release, "he had to face down a wave of scam apps and copycat software that targeted his FlickType app after its visible success".

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