Big set back for Apple, Amazon over iPhone, iPad prices; case slapped in court
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Apple and Amazon.com must face a consumer antitrust lawsuit in U.S. court accusing them of conspiring to artificially inflate the price of iPhones and iPads sold on Amazon's platform, a federal judge in Seattle ruled on Thursday.In his ruling, U.S. District Judge John Coughenour rejected bids from Apple and Amazon to dismiss the prospective class action on various legal grounds. Coughenour said the "validity" of the relevant market, a central issue in antitrust litigation, was a question for a jury. The lawsuit, filed in November, is among several private and government actions challenging Amazon's online price practices. Coughenour's ruling means the case will move forward to evidence-gathering and other pretrial proceedings.Lawyers for Apple and Amazon and representatives for t...