Partner Donald Pepperman Quoted by Law360 on Apple’s $100 million Settlement with App Developers

Donald Pepperman was quoted by Law360 in an August 30, 2021 story about Apple’s $100 million settlement saying the deal offers “some limited relief,” but fails provide “the structural and other relief that the class originally sought,” which could have forced Apple to reconsider the company’s exclusive App Store policies.

The settlement “is not likely to result in lower prices or subscription rates for apps on the App Store,” Pepperman said. “Unfortunately, the settlement will not serve to dissipate Apple’s monopoly power in that market and its stifling effects on price competition.”

The agreement in Donald R. Cameron et. al. v. Apple Inc. resolves monopoly claims from a proposed class of App developers led by Cameron, maker of a baby naming app. As part of the deal, Apple has agreed to pay $100 million into a “Small Developer Assistance Fund,” from which developers who submit claims will receive payments ranging from $250 to $30,000 depending on their revenue from the App Store.

This settlement resolves only one of the antitrust attacks on the high-tech giant. Other lawsuits, including one from Epic Games, also take aim at Apple’s policy that the only place to get apps for the iPhone is the App Store, which charges a 30% commission on all in-app purchases.