For suspected anti-competitive cooperation in the sale of Apple and Beats items, Italy’s antitrust watchdog penalized Amazon.com and Apple Inc a total of more than 200 million euros ($225 million).
Only a few resellers were authorized to sell Apple and Beats products on Amazon under the terms of a 2018 agreement between the firms. It, according to the watchdog, was in violation of European Union laws and harmed pricing competitiveness.
Both Apple and Amazon have stated that they intend to appeal the penalty.
Amazon was fined 68.7 million euros and Apple was fined 134.5 million euros by the regulator, which ordered the businesses to remove limitations on retailers selling genuine Apple and Beats products on Amazon. It should be done in a non-discriminatory manner.
“To ensure our customers purchase genuine products, we work closely with our reseller partners and have dedicated teams of experts around the world who work with law enforcement, customs and merchants to ensure only genuine Apple products are being sold,” Apple said, denying any wrongdoing.
Amazon stated in a second statement that it strongly disagrees with the Italian authority’s decision and that the proposed fine is “disproportionate and unwarranted.”
“We reject the suggestion that Amazon benefits by excluding sellers from our store, since our business model relies on their success. As a result of the agreement, Italian customers can find the latest Apple and Beats products on our store, benefiting from a catalogue that more than doubled, with better deals and faster shipping,” Amazon said.
