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CLASS ACTION COMPLAINT AND DEMAND FOR JURY TRIAL
Todd A. Seaver (SBN 271067)
BERMAN TABACCO
44 Montgomery Street, Suite 650 San Francisco, CA 94104 Telephone: (415) 433-3200 Facsimile: (415) 433-6382 Email: tseaver@bermantabacco.com Vincent Briganti (pro hac vice forthcoming) Christian Levis (
pro hac vice
forthcoming) Peter Barile (
pro hac vice
forthcoming) Amanda Fiorilla (
pro hac vice
forthcoming) Noelle Feigenbaum (
pro hac vice
forthcoming)
LOWEY DANNENBERG, P.C.
44 South Broadway, Suite 1100 White Plains, NY 10601 Telephone: (914) 997-0500 Facsimile: (914) 997-0035 vbriganti@lowey.com clevis@lowey.com pbarile@lowey.com afiorilla@lowey.com nfeigenbaum@lowey.com
Attorneys for Plaintiff
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA
JOHN PISTACCHIO, individually and on behalf of all others similarly situated, Plaintiff, v. APPLE INC., a California corporation. Defendants.
Case No.: ______________
CLASS ACTION COMPLAINT CLASS ACTION JURY TRIAL DEMANDED
Case 5:20-cv-07034-NC Document 1 Filed 10/08/20 Page 1 of 39
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CLASS ACTION COMPLAINT AND DEMAND FOR JURY TRIAL
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
NATURE OF THE ACTION ............................................................................................................ 1
JURISDICTION AND VENUE ........................................................................................................ 2
INTRADISTRICT ASSIGNMENT .................................................................................................. 3
PARTIES ........................................................................................................................................... 3
SUBSTANTIVE ALLEGATIONS ................................................................................................... 4 The History of Apple Inc. and the App Store ....................................................................... 4
The Rise of Mobile Gaming .................................................................................................. 5
The Rise of Mobile Gaming Subscription Services .............................................................. 7
The Relevant Market ............................................................................................................. 9
Apple’s Monopoly Power in the iOS Subscription-Based Mobile Gaming Services Market ................................................................................................................................. 10
Apple’s Anticompetitive Conduct in the iOS Mobile Gaming Subscription Services Market ................................................................................................................................. 12
A.
Apple Imposes Technical Restrictions on iOS Devices. ......................................... 12
B.
Apple Imposes Contractual Restrictions on Developers. ........................................ 12
C.
Apple Abuses its App Store Review Guidelines in order to Protect its Monopoly in the Market for iOS Subscription-Based Mobile Gaming Services. .................................................................................................................. 14
D.
Apple Outright Rejected Competing Subscription-Based Mobile Gaming Services. .................................................................................................................. 17
There are no Procompetitive Justifications for Apple’s Misconduct .................................. 18
Anticompetitive Effects in the iOS Subscription-Based Mobile Gaming Services Market ................................................................................................................................. 21
Apple’s History of Monopolistic Abuse ............................................................................. 23
ANTITRUST INJURY ................................................................................................................... 26
CLASS ACTION ALLEGATIONS ................................................................................................ 27
CLAIMS FOR RELIEF .................................................................................................................. 29
FIRST CLAIM FOR RELIEF ............................................................................................. 29
SECOND CLAIM FOR RELIEF ........................................................................................ 30
Case 5:20-cv-07034-NC Document 1 Filed 10/08/20 Page 2 of 39
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THIRD CLAIM FOR RELIEF ........................................................................................... 31
FOURTH CLAIM FOR RELIEF ........................................................................................ 32
FIFTH CLAIM FOR RELIEF ............................................................................................. 33
SIXTH CLAIM FOR RELIEF ............................................................................................ 34
PRAYER FOR RELIEF .................................................................................................................. 35
DEMAND FOR JURY TRIAL ....................................................................................................... 36
Case 5:20-cv-07034-NC Document 1 Filed 10/08/20 Page 3 of 39