Huan Qiu Wang Zi Xun·2025-10-01 02:59Core Viewpoint - Apple and Amazon have won a consumer antitrust lawsuit, with a federal court in Seattle dismissing allegations of collusion to raise iPhone and iPad prices [1] Group 1: Case Background - The lawsuit originated in 2022, filed by U.S. residents who purchased new iPhones and iPads on Amazon since January 2019 [3] - Plaintiffs accused Apple and Amazon of violating antitrust laws through a 2019 agreement that limited the number of competitive resellers [3] - In 2018, Amazon had approximately 600 third-party Apple resellers, and it was alleged that Apple agreed to provide discounts if Amazon reduced the number of resellers [3] Group 2: Court Ruling - Judge Kimberly Evenson ruled that the plaintiffs' lawyers misled the court and concealed the fact that the plaintiffs had decided to withdraw from the case [3] - The judge noted that the plaintiffs falsely claimed they did not intend to abandon the proposed class action while attempting to add new plaintiffs [3] - The court did not accept the argument that the proposed class action could continue even if the lead plaintiff withdrew [3] Group 3: Legal Fees and Reactions - In May, the plaintiffs' law firm indicated they would not oppose a joint payment of $223,000 in legal fees to Amazon and Apple after the court found the plaintiffs failed to "honestly and/or accurately describe their clients' intentions" [4] - The law firm acknowledged that the situation could have been handled better and committed to ensuring the case was conducted with "the highest professional standards" [4] - Both Apple and Amazon denied any wrongdoing, and their lawyers did not immediately respond to requests for comment [4]